hops, spins, pirouettes

an ekphrasis: Pablo Picasso, Paul dressed as a harlequin, 1924

Pablo Picasso, “Paul vestido de arlequín” 1924

Portrait of a harlequin

Blank-faced, slumped in place, 
straightened by Sunday best, 
receding into hockey gear, 
piano-recital taffeta; 
eyes, smiles, that 
blink away applause 
as the shutter opens—
at the family photo salon. 

Surely the great man 
knew the tradition:
harlequin is nothing 
if not nimble. Still, 
he could not resist 
the parental impulse: 
expect little 
from your precious  
beyond the dressing up—
great hops and spins, 
pirouettes from a child 
who can but sit 
and be ordinary.