Brent Malone RIP

how can we have gone from such respect
from who was and is
on the head of the coin

to such disrespect from who is
on the tail of the coin

paintings Brent Malone permitted me
on which I was paying when he passed
belong in my estate rather than in his

already he’d relinquished them to me
for a sum I was providing still
when he, unfortunately, passed away

his business partner, June Knight
certainly knew of this transaction

the week he passed
she called to point out
that I had two paintings
and a balance of eleven hundred dollars

I have one painting, I pointed out
and a balance of eleven hundred dollars
and I’m due the second
of these two paintings

oh, we’d have to wait
until after the estate has been probated
I was told

after it was, I spoke with Marysa,
Brent’s daughter, over the phone

she suggested that
my conversation with June Knight
never took place
that I’d made it up

outside of Brent and me, no one knew
of our transaction, she suggested
which was false

Brent had informed me
that he’d provided Marlborough Antique
a file of this transaction

they had to have it, how else
could June Knight have contacted me

and I’d made 1 of 3 payments
to the store as Brent instructed
if ever I was unable to reach him

not knowing the titles of these 2 paintings
has always been disadvantageous

well I have one, a nude, the other, similar in size
about 24 X 30 inches
is a painting of ribbons
and very much like M.C. Escher’s “Rind”

I chose it because Brent insisted, invited me to

I chose it because
he made my having it a possibility

I had just read 30 poems for Brent
and friends gathered at his house

these 30 poems I had written
on two occasions, around midnight

of a single painting in the window
at Marlborough Antique

he was determined to put a painting
or several, within my reach

I saw the one I loved and wanted
I selected it out of many
stacked about his living room

I saw it once; I have not seen it since
I love it and want it still

it is as if what Brent Malone permitted me
has been taken back

I have 3 cancelled checks of what was paid
each indicating the balance due

a former Attorney General has advised
that this is sufficient proof of our transaction

that second painting belongs to me
belongs in my estate and not in Brent’s

“We do not wish to sell,” his daughter said

but how could we not wish to sell
what is/what was already sold

what was on layaway as it were
and being paid on


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2008
2:20 p.m. 21.12.08