Phil Kaye - Priceless

this poem is titled priceless or after waiting in line for an hour to see it you realize the mona lisa is pretty small and somewhat underwhelming and while waiting are reminded of your own twitching extremities the way you clomp around the nylon ropes bristle when others get too close until finally it is your turn and the velvet gates open and you in your temporary herd molasses stampede into the painting's presence it's protective glass thicker than teeth as you each try and capture yourself in front of it a portrait of a portrait struggle to siphon the priceless from the already priceless you think for a moment about walking past in protest after in an otherwise empty museum your love smirks says well we saw it and there is a loosening in your tooth worn mouth that at least she did not feel the faint weight of a crest fall did not obsess about how the painting's warmth was lost in the gigantic room had the ever swarm begged the portrait to look always at once instead she says i never thought i'd be able to see that in real life and of course it is no longer about the portraits expression the blurry landscape the fact that you waited in line through three galleries only noticing other pieces of art as a way to measure your own place in line it is here in some empty bellied wing of the museum surrounded by the jewelry of a forgotten kingdom with her and a new sureness like a wool coat like a tight weave it is here that it becomes obvious that the priceless thing you read about as a child saw in movies heard about in song up close is small demure simple of course it deserves to be protected of course you wait and wait and if you get the chance though it is not yours to keep you try and hold it close [Applause]

Channel: Button Poetry

Views: 27,548

Keywords: Slam Poetry, Button Poetry, poetry slam, performance poetry, spoken word, poetry, poets, poems

Id: mTgSjo1vbiE

Length: 3min 1sec (181 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 04 2022