The Perfect Painting
The Perfect Painting
They said he could not put his heart
on canvas, capture time in a timeless
moment, allow his passion to explode,
and yet contain it in the flicking of a brush.
What is it that she sees, and how does she
perceive such texture and detail, a tear
stained cheek, a wry smile, an eerie shadow.
The perfect painting is not a reflection it
is an intuition, an invitation to passersby
to slow, to look again, to linger. It is that
lover’s look - making eye contact – and
holding it for an infinite second. It is the
touch of a gentle hand distracting us from
the urgencies of the moment, allowing us
to feel the mist of raging breakers, smell
the heat off lilacs bloom, soar in the icy
winded canyons. How did he see it, feel
it, capture it in wild dashes and blobs of
paint, in passionate strokes of fire,
burn his image onto the canvas?
We stand in awe at the savagery
and softness of such beauty,
press closer to inspect the clarity
of line, the detail of an infants face.
Seeking perfection in a painting -
perfect - in its imperfection.
5/15/2014
for The Perfect Painting contest
Copyright © John Lawless | Year Posted 2014
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