Today’s art is from Mark Gertler (1891-1939), prominent British painter of figures, still-life and portraits. Unlike his other still-life paintings, this one contains a lot of other elements. My poem is my take on how these elements may be interacting.
kiri-sute gomen,* or still life with self-slaughter how to arrange the apples spilling from their bag, place the large grape of a bottle muscling in on how I wish to seem— what’s it even doing there? whether to light the candle nearing its end, bringing certain darkness— could I even wrestle its flicker before it expires? shall I still eat a peach or am I too busy? and there, through the fisheye porthole, I can just be seen, at my easel, reflected younger than my years, receding image maker, still studio bound, still name bereft, harmlessly sinister . . . as with one hand, I render delicate ruminations on fleeting forms and light, my daub and dab still . . . no match for surly samurai with all the privileges of allegiant warriors who, double-fisted, bring their weapons down with singular force, and split me in two . . . *kiri-sute gomen, translated from Japanese as 'permission to cut and abandon' refers to a charming tradition in feudal Japan whereby samurai obtained the legal right to strike down with their swords anyone of a lower class who offended their honour.
Sword of truth promises no dishonor.
Fabulous. Such striking images. Not a word wasted.