Portrait of Sonia - With Apologies To Henri Fantin Latour

Sonia, take that hat off. Its plumage doesn’t suit you, So toss it to the floor. The same goes for the boa. Accessories are fine, dear, but in this case, less is more. Sonia, take those rings off. I’d like to keep it simple. Forget the fancy stuff. Your hands don’t need adornment. They articulate refinement and are elegant enough. Sonia, take your dress off. It’s damn near ninety-five outside And hotter still in here. Relax, un-tense your shoulders As I undo all these buttons. Let us part with this veneer. Sonia, take it all off: your bodice and your petticoat, Your stockings and your shoes. It’s my artistic judgment That your portrait be commissioned in all natural flesh-tone hues.