Velvet Nude Painting Purchased in Okinawa, 1968 — Reframed for this presentation by kenne
In the company of Elvis and Jesus
Sharing the velvet boom years
More than a recognizable profile
Not meant to depict an actual person
Reflections of elegant simplicity
Nude, on blue satin
Classic reclining style
Engagingly staring away
Not a Magritte, Nor a Picasso
A Japanese artist’s
Signature painting
Unfamiliar by name
Swept away by her allure
Taking a prominent place
In our sparsely furnish
Fatima village two flat
Traveling with us
From the China Sea
Always finding a place
Central to our being
Over the years
She never changed
Let, her importance
Began to diminish
A victim of new attractions
And changing attitudes
Her black velvet lost to our
False sense of maturity
Stored away among
The relics of our past
Only to be resurrected
By our aging memories
On display in our gallery
Of framed memories
Where we leave and return
As neighbors sneak a peep
