“Glass” by Michael Estabrook

For obvious reasons the first rule in any art gallery

or museum is don’t touch the art

even if the works seem to be behind glass

Is that really glass he asks the guard

we’ve never seen that before and we’ve been

to the Louvre in Paris and the Guggenheim in New York

Yes the guard says folding his arms across his chest.

It’s expensive but we had to do it

there’s a 1/8^th inch space

Between the glass and the painted surface

especially critical if we ship them—

wow so that really is glass he interrupts

Suddenly reaching out tapping the glass with his finger

of course he knows he shouldn’t

be touching the art in any way but seriously

The guard is standing right next to the painting

talking to him how the hell

could he not tap the glass!

After 40 years working for “The Man” and “The Woman” Michael Estabrook is finally free. No more useless meetings in stuffy windowless rooms. He can concentrate instead on making better poems and on other interests: history, art, theatre, and his wife who remains the most beautiful woman he has ever known.