Don't Go Near the Water, by Ken Kibler

The Water Lilies: Morning with Willows, by Claude Monet (France), 1920-26.

Don't Go Near the Water

"Suddenly I had the revelation of how magical my pond is.
I took up my palette.  Since that time I have scarcely
had any other models."
                                             Claude Monet (1840 – 1926)
 
Mesmerized by Morning with Willows,
I step closer, trip over the low guardrail
and plunge toward the pond. 
I grab a branch of the nearest
tree and dangle there, a panicking
pendulum swinging above the floating
lilies and swirls of clouds and insects.
 
I glance helplessly around the large
oval room at the other three giant
Monet canvases and the milling
museum goers. Wind ripples
the water below my feet as I thrash
noisily among the multi-coloured branches.
Hello, over here, I scream, but no one hears.
My arms ache.  A curious blue frog
watches from below.
 
A solitary mademoiselle approaches
and stares head-on at my plight.
Help, I have fallen into this painting.
She looks puzzled and asks me
something in French. Apparently
not understanding my frantic response,
she wanders away to join her family
for a picnic lunch in the garden outside.

Ken Kibler
​
Ken Kibler is a retired nuclear physicist, time-traveler, and sporadic writer who foists occasional self-published poetry collections on unsuspecting, but sometimes appreciative, acquaintances.