John Yau on a Painting by Caravaggio
‘All portrait artists / get away with perfect murders’ writes the US poet of Boy Bitten by a Lizard, on tour at Seoul’s National Museum of Korea
‘All portrait artists / get away with perfect murders’ writes the US poet of Boy Bitten by a Lizard, on tour at Seoul’s National Museum of Korea
After Caravaggio’s “Boy Bitten by a Lizard”
(1593–94)
John Yau
Being painted by
the hands of a murderer
does not guarantee
you will be remembered
when we know
all portrait artists
get away with perfect murders
not just the ones
who use their bare hands
as your hands are bare
as you pull back, afraid
posing as if you are afraid
this untrue moment
which will become true
once the hairs of the brush
sweep you, bit by bit, into place
Is this lizard destined
to bite and poison you
Do you think you can
avoid this brush with death
