When Visiting the Unsteady Art Collector

Hanging on the parlor wall, over paper the color of leaves in fall, is a magnificent painting. Full of hopes and dreams, and all those things, full of life and love and color. It is masterfully done (and "masterfully" hung). From my plush chair, I admire it. Tilting my head from side to side, and closing one eye, examining the brush strokes. It is unique in every way. The best I’ve seen this day, but there is one thing I can’t ignore. One thing that should never be said, a haunting group of words that bring dread. “It is... off center.”