Santa Maria…!

1. Please Make Yourself Decent!

On your left are silken islands
Birthed from wormy pasts.
…………Do thread carefully.

Did you know that Tintoretto himself
Wove them into a sheet
Of a ‘certain quality’.

It was ’2 meters,
No more no less’.
It still isn’t enough to make an

Entire dress and as a result
All these gilded marshlands
Will have to do without.

But come, Tintoretto
…………Himself
…………Is waiting.

And maybe no tears are
Needed because
‘She’s just asking for it’.

And maybe today the frescoes
Of gold will let us see
Her by their ‘ebullient light’.

And maybe today the man
With the camera
Will take an acceptable shot.

And maybe tomorrow
A word will name
A thousand pictures.

But for now, put on your
‘Choice of mask to mask’
And enjoy our overexposure.

2. Oh Shoot, Thunder.

This is no place for the eye
…………(Am)
…………Of the storm.

Threatening, it overhangs the
Arsenale like the ‘clock that the navy
Also could not stop adequately’.

What are we to do?
The spark plug needs to be gapped.
Yes the spark plug needs after all.

And maybe in that space
’10000 chattering tourists will
Chatter their way to heaven

With the holy brush of Tintoretto himself
…………As their guide’.
Each stroke descends and lifts, prismatically.

There is much love in the
Place between ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’.
Maybe Tintoretto had a dream

And in it ‘there were two magnets
Attracted to each other
And they were unmoving’.

‘And there were also two magnets
…………Held slightly apart
And they too were unmoving’.

‘Yet the force of the latter
…………Made universes’
And the former did nothing.

And maybe the spark plug needs
But there are no cars here,
‘Not yet, anyway’.

Is it not frustrating how
The ‘spirit just comes in and
Just spits all over the law’?

If there were one final
thing left to utter, then:
‘It is of utmost importance that you bring

An umbrella with you wherever you go’.
Tintoretto’s ‘latter’ ‘magnets’
Are making the rain dance.

3. Are You Homesick?

Try our guaranteed ‘famous cure’.
In the absence of herbs you will
Need to scrutinize modern art

Until the physical realm floats
…………Away on a
Technicolour cloud.

In the ‘absence’ of the
‘Physical realm’ you will
Realize the futility of mental illness.

Maybe it will now take refuge
In a ‘certain’ man’s fantasies.
…………Do look more.

In a while ‘the man with the camera’ himself
Will awaken. The thread ‘will’
Break and the lady ‘will’ shriek.

In her voice there are the naked
Echoes of ‘Santa Maria…!’
…………’Do look more’.

‘Two magnets held
Slightly apart’
Will draw together again.

‘Much love in the place’.
‘A thousand pictures’.
…………’”Do look more’”.

‘No cars here’.
‘An acceptable shot’.
…………”"‘Do look more’”‘.

‘Come, Tintoretto himself’ -
Canvas, daguerreotype, negligee, daydream -
…………’is waiting’.