They were married here
Beneath the cypress
And my only job
My one simple job
Was to gather up the scene
Many months later
And weave it together
In humble cotton
Beneath the surface
Of the paint
So I set about collecting threads…
I found unceremonious tatters of silk ribbon hanging from the boughs
I found tourists eating sandwiches in eleven different languages
I found needles scattered along discarded railroad tracks
I found the source of all needles peering out of the bushes behind globe wide eyes
I found it better to move along quickly
I found a racy photoshoot tucked in a cove around the corner
I found a mother and child picking flowers in a perfect world
I found a circle of friends sharing jokes about the future that made none of them laugh
I found a beautiful woman so broken hearted I cried when she smiled
I found a window of bright clear sunlight on a dark and weathery day
I found a wind so strong it blew my easel over
Twice
So I found some loose bricks from an old foundation nearby and strapped them to the legs of my easel with bits of duct tape
I found that did the trick
I found myself missing my home, my kids, and my wife who tells me that her life is a bit more pleasant in some ways when I’m out on the road
I found myself hoping the tape would hold me fast to the even Older Foundation where I’d strapped my foolish feet to keep my own unbalanced life from blowing right over this cliff
I found myself wrapping up quick and driving 8 hours straight home before I was finished here
You know
To bother her again
I found her waiting at the doorway when I finally arrived
So I took all these frayed threads and went to work beneath the surface while a song from Bill Callahan played on a crackling speaker and his unhurried voice sang out
“When you are dating
“You only see each other
“And the rest of us can go to hell
“But when you are married
“You’re married to the whole wide world
And I found this to be true
