May, 2004 - Nr. 5
Behind
Going to museums is a fine pastime
for woman of any age in search
of interesting culture, past or present.
Artifacts of old are tantalizingly cold,
and those of close to present time
can defy our cultivated realities.
We discover holes of knowledge
In our educational background,
the size of cosmic elements, like Venus.
As we snake through labyrinths
of humidified displays
and discover facts of life
from different perspectives
a sudden urge might overcome
even the most sombre individual.
The sign that says "Don’t touch"
can cause desire of the opposite.
While others stand stupendified
and reverent before the statue
someone might dare to walk around
to face another side of Pharaoh.
His bottom gleams in glittering black.
The thought: "Reach out and touch"
is paramount and cannot be suppressed.
So from the side reach out
and touch him on his back!
Go ahead, I did and dare to say:
The granite loved it and so did Pharaoh!
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
after ROM Egypt Exhibit, Toronto, April 2004
Copyright ©2003 Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
