Borrowing from Hamlet

Scene at the Tate

Even in the gallery, there’s gossip.

Strangers talk about what was staged
––the model with silver gown
stayed hours in a tin tub, laid out
like caviar––to the general view,
a maiden voyage. And Millais, 
Pre-Raphaelite, realist
to the manner born, grappled
with the Surrey flies, windy gusts,
and a notice for trespassing––
murder most foul of the hay. 

He confided to a friend,
“painting of a picture under
such circumstances would be greater
punishment to a murderer
than hanging.” Not to mention
the medical bill for Lizzie Siddal
of the bath, as warmth elapsed
for the sake of painstaking detail.  
Art exacts a price and so the heart––

Ophelia floats in her perpetual spring.

~ LCMH

Evening/Morning

Antidote

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin,”

Shakespeare dotes by way of a tea bag note,
steamy pour like taps after the swell of news,
paper tag reminds me of the kith of trees,
those wildfires, the dwellers who can’t tarry

over flavors of lemon and chamomile, of miles
walked to leave a certain peril.
October morning newspaper speaks of bark:

“The reality is that we are a planet endowed
with many tree species that have fragrant,
cinnamony bark, and that’s a good reason to find joy
in the world.”Aye, chai. Praise for cinnamon, blend
of cardamom seed, pepper, ginger. And for the persimmons
bough-ing o’er my yard, which, my neighbor calls to say, are ripe.

[The Washington Post quote by Tamar Haspel, October 25, 2017] 

~ LCMH