Leonardo stands in the hush of his studio,
paintings breathing softly behind him~
the Virgin’s calm, the inventor’s restless sketches,
and the Mona Lisa waiting on her easel,
her half-smile already carrying
more secrets than the room can hold.
Beside him, the cracked egg waits~
its shell veined and luminous,
a chamber where silence has been working.
Leonardo touches it,
and she steps out smiling,
the broken shell releasing
what had been forming in quiet,
an idea finding its shape
the instant his hand
made room for it.
*apertura is a Renaissance-rooted word for “the moment creation steps forward.”
painting The Mona Lisa by Leonardo daVinci
"The way the smile flickers makes it a work of both art and science...
all of it goes into making the Mona Lisa's smile so mysterious and elusive." —
Walter Isaacson
I know something's wrong, when her brown eyes turn dark
yet when she is smiling, their green strikes a spark.
Note her long dark, black hair, deficient of style;
Tossing her head could make the smile more worthwhile.
While her ruby red lips lack any luster,
if she'd truly smile, I'd feel I could trust her.
The color of a smile that breaks forth unfurled?
It's charisma, pure light that brightens the world.
She sits composed
smiles a simple smile
and has us all intrigued
She mesmerizes
sees right through us
haunts us with her glance
There is no other portrait
quite so uniquely captivating
as Leonardo's Mona Lisa
AP" 1st place 2025
more than a Renaissance man, polymath personified
no boundaries, no demarcations - holistic view of arts and sciences
artist, musician, cartographer, engineer, anatomist and more
The last thing
you should ever want
is for a poet
to re-edit your verse
Better a robot
still better an ape
if your words to survive
— and disperse
(Dreamsleep: October, 2025)
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, you are totally gorgeous, and your heart is open
Why would you waste your time on a lying, cheating scoundrel?
You are the kindest woman I know. Your compassion is unconditional.
Tonight you are the belle of the ball, so enticingly wickedly sexy.
Can’t you feel the looks you are getting all around the room?
The women want to be you, and the men want to be with you.
You are gorgeous in this red satin evening gown. Those shoes are a delight.
How can we find you the right guy? Let’s make this right!
Lisa, take it from your bestie, you can do much better than that clown.
You have a sense of naughtiness tonight that would bring a hound down.
But you already have a hound waiting in the wings, my friend.
Let’s find a real man with a heart for you instead. You are the bait.
Labubu grins, a curious work of art,
Kasing Lung’s dream, brought forth from the heart.
Pop Mart displays, collecting carts start,
Lisa’s embrace gives trends a new chart.
People of faith, consider your part,
Not every craze should capture your heart.
Fame’s shining lure can pull us apart,
Discernment and wisdom must always take part.
Enjoy what is lovely, but don’t let it chart
A course that could lead your soul to depart.
The world may entice with treasures and art,
But truth and love must anchor your heart.
Let light be your guide, not just what is smart,
For faith is the truest and timeless art.
Joe lisa said, she wanted to forgive
and forget her pain.
I couldn't let her live,
she had to pay the price for trying.
She was living on the edge,
she never knew the floor was caving in.
You get what you give,
when every road is a past mistake.
They will never let you live,
when dying is all that they ever did.
Just spinning on the edge,
spinning on the edge of a life and death
But you learn to forgive,
when you're spinning on the edge of your life and death.
For centuries, she would be beguile
the whole world with her famous smile,
but I couldn't make her grin (or laugh) -
well, only just a half.
Someone stole my face
and hung it in a bright room—
called it self-portrait.
And The Mona Lisa is tired - her canvas cracked from stares
A billion eyes dissect but no-one repairs
Her smile is a lie
Just a facade created to survive
They worship the fallacy but the woman's been lost.
Forgotten in history
her own identity to her remains a mystery
She had a voice once, a name, a life-
Now, she's only a sum of their expectations
Lost in becoming a true masterpiece
So polished that there's no personality.
I wonder if they soothe their imperfections with her crafted beauty
Perfectly imperfect though hidden behind reflected beliefs
Even if I scream they'll only hear silence.
Even if I change they'll frame me the same.
They will never see me as me,
Because I'm their Mona Lisa
And it doesn't matter what I want to be.
If there is an intriguing smile!
Why unravel a mystery
that can disfigure pure beauty?
Lisa had never lived alone, she did not know what to expect.
I am scared, she admitted, alert and self-circumspect.
She left her fiancé’ and his baggage, of which there was a lot.
Moved away to Wisconsin, arrived at two o’clock on the dot.
Had taken a risk and landed in a wonderful place for her.
Now has new friends who are the same age, who know the cure.
They get together for dinners, luncheons, potlucks and other stuff.
She advises single living to everyone, there is no longer anger or huff.
Her story she wished to repaint
With each step, she refined a stroke
Striving to create a perfect picture
An abstract, where every feeling is captured.
In her old portrait
Black was dominant and vibrant
Seeping into every corner of her canvas
Even surpassing the edges.
The paintings of her soul
She sought to redo
Crafting a masterpiece
With an entirely different theme.
Her old self she would reflect
But this time, her portrait would be named
Like the great painting of Mona Lisa
Every inch of her, glorified.
Do years pass quickly, not the beautiful memories
stuck in the mind more than in the fond heart?
When will I hug my Lisa and delight her with kisses?
When can this dream be real, letting joys start?
I haven't spread petals of roses on my cold bed,
or bought a bottle champagne as I intended;
there is no presence of her: the strong fragrance
was the only reason to start a new romance!
Why settled with some woman with tempting lips,
who doesn't consider my feelings, but surely digs
fun, excitement and pleasure until I wear myself out?
Let pleasures come, forgetting that Lisa is my delight!
Will ever come a day I'll know complete happiness?
Being used has never been ideal, devotion is divine
and blessed by God; who wants to feel restlessness?
Lord, I have gone astray and drank too much wine!
When will I hug Lisa and make her my darling?
She longs for faithfulness, I long for devotion;
we both want good things, the best of everything:
let God bless us, so we can be happy and move on!
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