honour killing
Still Life With Self Portrait, Mark Gertler
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.
Writing reflectively opens portals into time, not even realizing we sometimes act as scribes to those whispering in our unconscious.