Klee Gone Mad, Almost Berserk
after Dick Wray’s painting, 1963

From clocks & chocolates
to brushstrokes
& a campfire coffee pot

Here we have the heart
of a 12 point buck
suspended

Caped out
like clockwork
strapped in leather

A cool palette
of knives busily
gut & trim

Vials for a quick sketch
turpentine
ground lapis lazuli

Nerves gone mad
hands thick
with clots, silver skin

Allergic to fur
eyes water
nose runs

The dog still whining
for his
bloodied treat

**

Cave
after a Richard Stout painting, 1957

So much
rain you
can taste
the lightning

confused
stallions
mount
each other

flare nostrils
stampede
a voice
trails off

you climb
ladders
grind paints
with your teeth

stretch canvas
over bone
wind up
clocks

fluff feather
pillows
turn down
the quilts

upstairs
baby
is sleeping
big black

spiders crawl
up cribs
spin webs
night mares

**

Fishing Boats
after Andre Derain’s painting, 1905

It’s the kind of painting
that made for a beautiful
puzzle

My aunt had stacks, boxes
of magnificent ones
nineteen thirties

nineteen forties
these were magical, all
of us

grew up watching Aunt Mena
weave with patient fingers
famous works

of Masters, knowingly begin to
grin, the end pieces
taking shape

the tips of sails, the smile of
fishermen, swirling sea gulls, nets
being cast

bright of sky, white puff of cloud
the dot & dash of browns
for land

& the sea, a big bowl of blue
hiding beneath brightly colored
boats

green & blue-gray hills just beyond
our muted houses painted
in flesh