- Vol. 10
- Chapter 05
Before the Fall
Opulence and movement
cascade across the canvas.
The cloth, lobster, and fruit
are still. They lay at angles chosen by the artist.
Even the monkey reaching for a red berry
and the dog sniffing the air
seem transfixed,
obeying the artist’s whims.
But is this moment true?
Did the dog sniffing the air and the monkey reaching for a red berry
photo bomb the still life?
Did the artist capture the still before the storm?
A still life poised on the cusp of
crashing into chaos.
The three characters desires collide
in the moment after painting.
The artist wants a cascade of food.
The dog wants a bit of ham.
The monkey wants that red berry the size of his fists.
But all three cannot exist.
Pets, people, and nature
invade our solitude,
upset our plans,
interrupt our vision.
Before the Fall
The world
cannot be as contrived and convenient
as anyone wants - for
my wants,
your wants, his wants,
her wants, their wants,
our wants,
clash and grind against each other.
But the mortar and pestle of
relationships,
teaches us,
molds us,
improves us,
loosens us,
amuses us,
free us,
to become who we were born to be.
Left alone we would stagnate into
the most convenient shape, a mere
phantom of our potential.