Purpose
Art -
that which fulfills a purpose
and yet not bound
nor curtailed
nor restrained
by that purpose
- stretches the perceiver,
animates the passive
gaze
(or quiet read)
and stirs
the heart and mind,
evoking that purpose.
Art can be so bold as
to inspire,
discomfort,
reveal,
sadden,
overjoy,
humble,
confuse,
confront,
or defy.
And yet, the artist
cannot contain the art,
control its purpose,
but must concede, rather,
to pursue the purpose,
and let the art bloom
beyond this pursuit.
The purpose is merely a gateway,
a stepping stone,
a foundation,
upon which - through which -
the art is created;
this purpose,
an essence,
a presence,
is a beginning,
not an ending,
not a box,
but a flower pot, with soil that feeds the growth
of those with the patience, the quiet, the focus,
to see what springs from the
art.