Thank you to Editor Melissa Johnson of Poor Yorick Journal  
for publishing "Velvet Painting."

http://pooryorickjournal.com




Courtesy of Pixabay.

Velvet Painting

by Linda Imbler

–

Inside an odds-and-ends store
On the edge of town
Resides a most unusual creation.
Upstairs in the corner,
Almost hidden from view,
As if meant for my eyes alone.
Painted on black velvet—
A life-size skeleton seated on the chair,
Right ankle resting on left thigh,
A jaunty physical presence
Perfectly posed for camera or painter’s eye
As if in need of a top hat and tails.
Face slightly angled,
All smile,
As if with a secret to share,
Toothsome, wide grin
Normally hidden behind soft lips
And a heart shaped chin.

There is no artist name
On this macabre objet d’ art,
Its creation is
Perhaps the artist’s deliberate act at consternation,
Perhaps s/he was not humored
By an overabundance of Elvis and landscapes.

Its present home
Seems well-suited,
Almost as if being surrounded
By commonplace objects
Has made it less glaring and repellent.
Here in this niche,
A tucked-in canvas.
Maybe the next patron
Will be more voyeuristic
And require its presence closer to home.

Painter statement or joke,
Who can tell?