i went to the museum
some time ago
tagged onto the tail of a tour
of some great sculptor's work
the curator showed us the
early works
premature but beautiful
with unrestrained
unpracticed elegance and flaws
then we saw it
the piece above all else
the work by which the others were
inevitably compared
marble of pearl white
perfect, slender lines
so beautiful
so complete
to touch it would upset
its balance, so it remains forever
under a simple
glass box
was something, a hunk of rock
dirt covered its ragged exterior
a victim of a horrible mutilation
"the master" - the curator announced -
"requested that these two works be
paired side by side"
people whispered among themselves
why would he do that?
put an ugly rock
next to pure marble?
the poor rock we sympathized
trapped forever
near something it can never be
always being compared to perfection
as if to further
the masterpiece's beauty
and it's own flaws
a cruel trick
by its creator
