Van Gogh's View

by Michele T. Fry © 1992

Swirling crags
and sundrenched molten lava ledges flow.
It must be another Van Gogh!
While you stare in, agog, at his preposterous pallet
of boldly texture hue.
He seems to be in there somewhere-
a'glaring and a'staring out at you!
Absorbing every crevice, every curve, every tint
of every auric charge built up around your face-
then turns away and paints himself in shimmering pose-blue!
Was this how he saw you?

He then lops off his ear,
and writhes in abject poverty,
and dies,
leaving behind a little prize, a work he's merely dubbed-
"Sunflowers".

SOLD! for four million dollars!
$5 worth of canvas.
$20 worth of paint.
$250 for the frame.
Nothing for him.
Nothing for you.
And all the rest-Van Gogh's radiant view!