The Catharsis and Tragedy of Art

The Catharsis

Tragedy of Art

CONTENTS

tabula rasa

courage in quitting

Persephone

the Pied Piper of Hamelin

today I am an understudy

in a picturesque green world

tabula rasa

the velvety fabric, void of color
begs to be painted on by experience
untouched purity to be adorned with hues of paint
and brushstrokes of gold

your hands trace figures
and caress the fabric
purposeful strokes
that transform into intricate patterns

your benign nature
is a wall of security
your delicate words
soften even a brush’s barbed bristles
and your gentle hold creates mesmerizing beauty

will everyone be as gentle?
or will my canvas be littered,
defiled, and saturated
with pungent words
handled aggressively, impatiently
till all that’s left is a monstrosity
that has the audacity to be called art

a bow hurriedly lathered in rosin
saws across the taut strings
as notes ricochet
off the cramped studio’s walls

as my hand grips the mahogany base
eyes skim the sheet music
and feet tap in irritation
I mentally berate myself
for choosing to play the violin

whose tender song
I once connected with
but grew weary of over time

but as music lessons became dreadful
and practicing became a chore,
I persisted
continued to arrive at the studio with apprehension
and leave in desolation

but the more I tried to force a dying connection
the sooner I came to realize
the courage in quitting

courage in quitting

an unfamiliar melody
infiltrates his core
moving his body in obedience
to the lulling resonance
of the brass pipe

the boy’s eyes glaze over
like those of a bisque doll
as he runs through winter’s icy clutches
dismissing his mother’s pleas

he joins the assembly of children
blending in with his rosy cheeks
and flaxen curls

and together they trail behind the incongruous man
laughing, shouting
skipping, playing
up the snow-coated mountains
till they reach the Weser

and then
one by one
they immerse themselves into the river’s arms
deeper and deeper
till it engulfs them completely
and they fall prey to the piper’s malicious ways

stripping the parents of Hamelin of their beloved children
and leaving their cry of grief to echo indefinitely

the Pied Piper of Hamelin

Persephone

a miniature statue sits prettily upon my dresser.
her legs delicately crossed at the ankle,
a hand resting on her jutting hip,
and her neck tilted in coquettish glee.

her presence is less cherished.
she is not sought after for Athena’s advice and wisdom,
nor is she revered for Artemis’ archery and precision.

instead, the goddess of spring,
is ridiculed for her juvenile nature.
for falling in love with her abductor,
the king of darkness.

but, no one said that the darkness was evil;
you assumed it.

Persephone saw the light,
within the shadows you run from.

so, she remained in the Underworld,
with the sole person who recognized her worth.
and they ruled besides each other on black ebony thrones,

imposing eternal damnation
upon unfortunate souls.

leaving behind a cautionary reminder.

the goddess of spring,
of warmth and light,

can still make you bleed prettily.

today I am an understudy

today I am an understudy
in a theater of carping eyes
and brazen tongues

but their gaze falls right through me

leaving me to fade into the background
and blend into its shadows

here I am shielded from their criticisms
but also never on the receiving end
of their appreciative remarks
or hearty applause

I am stuck

my own insecurities
bound firmly to the soles of my feet

and so I wait
a silhouette of possibility
for my turn
when I am no longer afraid
of being blinded
by the piercing lights

today I am an understudy
but tomorrow I will be center stage

a picturesque green world

Based on Carlos Otero’s The New Green World of 2020

in a picturesque green world
a tree’s extended limbs
lean into the sun’s rays
like lovers locked in an eternal embrace
bathing in the sunlight
like a warm caress

foliage erupts from the tree’s feet
transforming into verdant valleys
green quilts that decorate mother earth’s skin

the landscape looks like a respite from humanity

where the blue heavens
and the lush greenery
can rest without consequence
out of people's poisonous clutches

because humans

they trample upon mother earth’s delicate feet
parching her body and scorching her insides
leaving her barren and exposed
we are selfish to a fault

perhaps we caused our own doom
and man is extinct
and this is what it would look like
when the forbidden fruit is restored
a picturesque green world