A PictureA Poem by Matt CunninghamCreating a picture in the motion of lifeDrawing, tracing a figure with a fingernail scraping against the pavement as the mid-day sun beats down on the street, radiating from every surface and evaporating every drop of moisture from the skin of his brow having already produced beads of sweat resembling raindrops collected on a leaf.
He feels the pressure on his finger, the subtle scraping of his nail as it slowly fractures and turns to dust against the coarse top of the black surface, dragged like a stick in the sand along the beach, taunting the tide to wash it away. He saw the movement of legs and skirts and pants and briefcases and bicycles and cars and dogs as they moved past him. They moved and he remained still.
As he slowly draws circles and squares and triangles to create his figures his cuticles catch the surface ripping the skin from his finger and creating specks of blood that draw contrast as the red blots of his life mix with the white trail of flakes that represent his solid mass.
He felt the skin under his nail catch the pavement and stopped and thrust his finger into his mouth and tasted the blood as it trickled slowly on his tongue. He touched the raw skin with his tongue and felt the smooth yet raw skin that tinged with pain as his tongue brush against it passing along to find the pain.
He touched the injured finger to his lower teeth, slowly feeling the wet, slippery ridges that existed on ivory that was so strong. He looked to the sky and stared at the sun which had revoked any sense of relief simply with its presence. It touched the beads of sweat on his brow and stung his eyes as he stared directly at this white beacon.
He stood, feeling the pull of the muscles in his legs and the creaking of his knees as he rose above the ground and looked down upon the pavement that had become his canvas. He looked down to the pavement and saw the collection of circles and squares and triangles and he saw the world. He saw humanity he saw his soul he saw the lives of those around him and of those who had walked passed him as he created this picture, some not noticing him others dismissing him as crazy or homeless or a runaway or a junkie or a poor artist. He looked down and saw the world.
© 2012 Matt Cunningham |
StatsAuthorMatt CunninghamNYAboutA writer in his late 20's finding himself through short stories, poetry and prose. more..Writing
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