John Ashbery(b. 1927)

The Painter

Sitting b e t w e e n t h e sea a n d t h e buildings

H e e n j o y e d p a i n t i n g t h e sea's portrait.

B u t j u s t as c h i l d r e n i m a g i n e a prayer

Is m e r e l y silence, he e x p e c t e d his subject

To r u s h up t h e s a n d , a n d , seizing a b r u s h ,

P l a s t e r its o w n portrait on t h e canvas.

So t h e r e was n e v e r any p a i n t on his canvas

Until t h e p e o p l e w h o lived i n t h e buildings

P u t h i m t o work: "Try u s i n g t h e b r u s h

As a means to an end. Select, for a portrait,

S o m e t h i n g less angry a n d large, a n d m o r e s u b j e c t

To a p a i n t e r ' s m o o d s , or, p e r h a p s , to a prayer.

H o w could h e explain t o t h e m his prayer

T h a t n a t u r e , n o t art, m i g h t u s u r p t h e canvas

He c h o s e his w i f e for a n e w s u b j e c t ,

M a k i n g h e r vast, like r u i n e d buildings,

As if, f o r g e t t i n g itself, t h e p o r t r a i t

H a d expressed itself w i t h o u t a b r u s h .

Slightly e n c o u r a g e d , h e d i p p e d his b r u s h

In t h e sea, m u r m u r i n g a h e a r t f e l t prayer:

"My soul, w h e n I p a i n t this next p o r t r a i t

Let it be you w h o w r e c k s t h e canvas.

T h e n e w s s p r e a d like wildfire t h r o u g h t h e buildings:

H e h a d g o n e b a c k t o t h e sea for his s u b j e c t .

I m a g i n e a p a i n t e r crucified by his subject!

T o o e x h a u s t e d even to lift his b r u s h ,

He provoked some artists leaning from the buildings

To m a l i c i o u s m i r t h : " W e h a v e n ' t a prayer

N o w , of p u t t i n g ourselves on canvas,

Or g e t t i n g t h e sea to sit for a portrait!

O t h e r s d e c l a r e d it a self-portrait.

Finally all i n d i c a t i o n s of a s u b j e c t

B e g a n t o f a d e , leaving t h e canvas

P e r f e c t l y w h i t e . H e p u t d o w n t h e b r u s h .

At o n c e a howl, t h a t was also a prayer,

Arose f r o m t h e o v e r c r o w d e d buildings.

They tossed him, the portrait, from the tallest of the buildings;

And the sea devoured the canvas and the brush

As t h o u g h his s u b j e c t h a d d e c i d e d to r e m a i n a prayer.