One Work: L’Atelier

Picasso

By Harper Lewis Published 3 months ago • Updated 3 months ago • 1 min read

L’Atelier, Picasso, 1934

you always were larger than life,

even here, saffron chapeau

riding that incredible brain,

shielding the lascivious artist,

ass sagging into his stool,

the emeralds of his eyes

alive with lust for the muse—

all tits and hips

stretched on a hammock,

shadow of the phallus—

that missile seeking heat

breaching the canvas,

ready to impale;

vermillion stripes surrounding her body

a faint imitation of those

circling yours while trees

gently sway, as if worshipping

the mortals beneath them.

Intrusive rhyme bothers me, except as a weapon.

Intertextuality is my passion.

Formalist/ New Critical are my guiding theories.

My words are mine, not a robot’s.

MA English literature, CofC

Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also become a paid subscriber, letting them know you appreciate their work.