INTERIOR WITH PEASANTS (Adriaen Van Ostade)

I don’t need to look
at a painting to feel
anything but look
at this painting!

That’s what I said
to Jerri. She looked
at the painting. She
saw the poor woman
with her baby near

The window. Was
she there because
she need a little
sunlight? Did the
baby need a little
sunlight? Did

She want to make
sure by the light
of the window that
the baby was alive?

And look
I told Jerri

Those three men
by the fireplace

Near the spinning
wheel. They don’t
seem to care. They
don’t care about
the baby

Jerri laughed.
The crib is hanging
on the window sill

It’s a good sign
It’s hanging over
The Mask of Death
and it’s smiling

Masks don’t smile
I thought to myself.
All Jerris aren’t crazy
but this one is.

Cribs, however, often
smile, Jerri. Especially
if they are heirlooms.
Especially if they have
something to say. Or
at least at times like that
they can appear to smile.

The men don’t need to care
Jerri said dreamily, The baby’s
fine, the crib is fine. There’s
no reason to care.

But Jerri said, Look over there

I thought for certain that the crib
would be flying away or the baby
would be standing up and saying

I’m OK or the Mask of Death
would be saying It’s Me! but
it wasn’t that at all

The men had turned from the fireplace
They wanted to know what all the commotion
was about. They had finished their dark beers
because Last Call comes early in paintings
And then they began to look angry

Jerri put a finger to her lips
Duck, Jerri said

Don't even breathe

But nothing happened
and nothing kept happening
and finally the men turned away
from the fireplace and didn’t even move

Until Jerri disappeared
Until I disappeared
and then, and only then,
they disappeared

and the baby
began to cry

all artwork, including monsters but not old timey photographs,
® mr. crispy flotilla, 2007