Robert L. Penick
The Uncompleted Painting
It sits at the back of the thrift store shelf,
obscured by knickknacks, salt and pepper shakers,
a beaten-to-death Snoopy doll.
You are the only one who notices it,
the amateur strokes, shaky application,
the white canvas on the margins.
A little Cezanne, with some ill-defined
flowers, a brook that defies gravity, and
either a castle or penitentiary afar.
You pay four bits, take it home.
Hang it on the wall as is, as unfinished
as the rest of this world.
Bio
The poetry and prose of Robert L. Penick have appeared in over 200 different literary journals, including The Hudson Review, North American Review, Plainsongs, and Oxford Magazine. The Art of Mercy: New and Selected Poems is now available from Hohm Press, and more of his work can be found at theartofmercy.net