|Poem| Attitude of Mandolin

 

Attitude of Mandolin

-- To the woman in “Tabac Royal” painted by Matisse, 1943

 

Tabac Royal, Tabac Royal, Royal Tobacco

White vase with text in black It’s really

Aristocratic, right? A neat mustache and cigarette smell

 

Sitting on the chair next to the bright yellow door

A deep white dress A blunt mandolin

They're resisting against each other, not budging at all

 

 

Note on the Muse:

I sort of like the goofy side of the Matisse’s paintings.

Both painters and poets alike should be a little goofy.

 

© Ryang Suh, MD 2023.12.08