1925

in Juan-les-Pins,
the spearhead of the avant-garde
got very little attention
when the new painter arrived at seven
with images for sale.
their words were clear
and their poetic surfaces nicely polished,
but they did not follow the painter inside
for a studio visit
where he made a feast
and drank deeply, almost alone.
and so, shortly,
more paintings came in a constant supply
and eclipsed their best writing
by a large distance
even though they spent the summer
working on an obligatory tan.