jealous of mona lisa
*poem about ginevra de'benci, a work by da vinci not as famous as the mona lisa

ginevra de'benci
why don't you try to smile
and put those wasted pieces
of swollen flesh
resting on your face
to good use?

you must be jealous
of the mona lisa.
her name dances
on the tongue of every mouth.
her smile is printed
on the corner of all minds.
her face haunts the pages
of history books.

but you sit patiently
like a ghost
on the bottom left corner
of the art appreciation book
i never gave back
in high school.

you must be jealous
of the mona lisa
who's known for her smile.
all i see when i look at you
are the bottomless gray
of our eyes
gazing longingly at me.

but the closer i look
and the more i squint my eyes
i notice you looking
elsewhere
to some fascination
behind me.

what are you thinking?
maybe that mr. da vinci
took his sweet time
painting her and not you?
you must be jealous
of the mona lisa.