The Sneeze
Uncontrolled,
uncontrollable,
it bursts forth,
unstoppable.
I was painting at the time,
an imitation of Munch:
all those sad-faced
citizens walking the street.
The sneeze caught them
in mid-stride.
The looked shocked
and bewildered:
green, slimy eyes,
white-flecked beards,
yellow cheeks and chins,
tiny red specks.
Who knows in what
hidden fold of the brain
are great ideas born?
I smudged and smeared,
worked snot into paint,
molded sticky chunks
with a palette knife,
sculpted those so-sad faces
into wily coyote smiles.
“Genius, pure genius,”
the art critic cries.
I get full marks
and
win first prize.
A tribute to coincidence ….
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a little bit gummy, but some times all those lumpy paintings do make me think of other things. I was also thinking about how competitions were won and lost … not always the best people win. There is a lot of luck involved.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is funny Roger… weirdly enough I used that image from Munch on a repost two or three days ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s exactly where I took the idea from. I do like Munch. I have “imitated” The Scream and have used it on a book cover (my version). Great fun. So: a big thank you for jogging my memory the other day. Even Clare likes The Sneeze, now she’s got over the gruesome bits and can see the funny side of the ending.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am flattered. Great idea, full of bathos and funny.
LikeLiked by 1 person