A Work Of Art Poem by Ananta Madhavan

Works of art require consensus
Among connoisseurs who agree
That a painting or a statue or
Taj Mahal or St. Paul's cathedral
Or even the Gallery of Modern Masters
Deserves the tourists and the rave reviews
Of public acclamation. This, despite
The contrarians and nay-sayers who
Contest consensus.

The nine-foot Buddha, with a smile
Playing down his face,
Is not offended, nor disturbed
From meditating on the inner self,
Generation after generation.

Within the charmed circle, small though it is,
The spell of art exerts its inner magic.
Let visitors in a hurry board their bus
Or pack their bags and rush off somewhere else,
Recommended by the guide-book agenda.
Let them for the nonce submit to art.
It is unmannerly to break the magic spell. Depart,
Better to sneak away to the exit.
A pity there isn't time to buy a souvenir.