Marks We Leave
for Claudina & Justice Cheryl Albury

you’d have to be inspired to do a thing like that
to dare to draw upon a couple’s bedroom wall

kind enough to permit him their bedroom for the night
a couple, newly married, and he rewards them
with what could have been disaster, seen as, taken as insult

it was Picasso sleeping in their bed, a traveler, a stranger
they chose to provide shelter

up when he should have been sleeping, when they thought he was

working away, drawing away, attempting to reward this couple
for their kindness, express his appreciation for sacrifice

for who must have heard and accepted the admonition
be kind to strangers, you might be entertaining angels unawares
or the greatest artist living

when is our mark insult or to sully
when is our mark worth something, other than upon a check

what Picasso drew upon that couple’s wall, they marveled at
appreciated

discovered only after he had left,
only after he was gone, inquired to discover who he was

when what he drew was assessed, it was found to be worth
several times the worth of the house

how rewarded they were, how overjoyed

was what I wrote upon Justice Albury’s office door today
upon the sign upon it, graffiti or enhancement, improvement

appreciated or will the police come for me, common criminal
my reward, a pair of silver bracelets

what about the hair-thin line between the mark that’s art
and that which does injury, which devalues

Jean-Michel Basquiat, graffiti artist, and Andy Warhol
became best friends and similarly influential

do we mark up or do we mark down what we mark on


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
9:48 p.m. 13.10.09