My Story and Modern Art

I have to warn you,
it is not for everyone.
Some of it is bland, living room material,
suitable for framing
and hanging on a wall
only to blend in.

But most is too bright,
too dark,
colors clash
and forms bring out devils,
sultry songstresses,
crippled beggars,
and the broken.
Oh yes, especially the broken.

It is a film noir place, punctuated
with an occasional angel
for comic relief,
it is the stuff of museums and madhouses,
raw and almost ugly, almost unbearably beautiful,
never quite still.

It is a romance, with pain,
a triumphant tragedy.
something different to everyone who sees it,
never quite allowed to be
what it is,
but always something better,
something far worse.
never quite allowed
to just be.

No, you would never hang
this story on your living wall.
It is too uncomfortable,
it is unforgivable, committing the ultimate sin,
making you feel
too much.

About this poem

Someone recently asked me to tell them about my life. What to tell? Do they want facts or feelings, a laundry list or the whole ugly, wonderful mess?

I paint abstract art. When people ask me about a painting, I go through the same questions. How much do they really want to know.

From those two things, this poem. The picture was taken as Mass MoCA, a couple of months ago.

Tom