The Florentine artist Caravaggio burst upon the Rome scene in 1600
With the success of his first public commission The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew.
Thereafter he never lacked commissions, but he handled his success poorly.
We was jailed on several occasions, vandalized his own apartment and ultimately had a death warrant
issue for him by the Pope, after killing a young man, well possible unintentionally
on May 29th, 1606.
I was at least fascinated by Caravaggio’s life as by his art.
The following poem is a fantasy and attempted amalgamation at both life and art.
How did it happen that my friend, Caravaggio,
and I were sitting together in a Tucson
strip bar with him fondling his knife
and staring at a ripped patron who
could cause us serious trouble if so disposed?
Caravaggio saw the dancer’s face as dappled
history tectonic fault lines of stress.
She turned away to wrap her limbs
around a silver pole arousing
me with her perfect extension.
Get free of this I thought and slapped
my right hand palm down on the grained
bar that sucked my flesh tight against atoms
of wood reaffirming the myth I live in a
singular universe though physics says otherwise.
Caravaggio blew a mist of beer over my hand
making a negative print the way early men blew
pigment over their fingers in their caves
believing those walls were membranes between
themselves and the place animals grazed.
Our waiter, a flip art major, asked Sig. Merisi why he was
not painting bishops or cupids with sensual lips
or hair described as black ice cream?
Good time to find a truck stop that offered a leather trade
cute enough to keep my friend busy until the
moon clouded over and Providence came to blink
us away down some squalid Florentine alley which
Carvaggio entered and never looked back
leaving me wondering how I could possibly
acquire a few yards of tela di fiandra soon
to be colored with swirls of yellow ochre
red earth and lead white
yes, a masterpiece showing our holy mother leering
at cupid while a dark face stares from the side.
We believe that profile is the artist
the curator says pointing me out
a student of the great Caravaggio
as yet unidentified.
I found the surrealistic juxtaposition of the 17th century artist and the poet in a strip club very creative and telling of your own artistic ability. Very original and full of striking images that became quite easily understood. Good storytelling that was even better when you read it.
Interesting history and a good presentation. 'David with the Head of Goliath' was a favorite of mine of his work. The light and shadow in it is very effective (IMO). Enjoyed this narrative verse. Thanks for sharing. rlc
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I found the surrealistic juxtaposition of the 17th century artist and the poet in a strip club very creative and telling of your own artistic ability. Very original and full of striking images that became quite easily understood. Good storytelling that was even better when you read it.
Ron