The One That I Bought.... Poem by RIC BASTASA

the first painting is a lushness
of deep red and black bold lines
a mournful of deserted houses
people having abandoned them
a long time ago due to terror

the second one is a crowd of
women carrying baskets of fish and
men landing their boats on the shore
beside a market place of the most
ordinary village where trade is booming

the third one are five children resting
beside a water buffalo and there was
that one child with a hat reading his
book while the other one is whistling and
the rest are sleeping

you are dismayed with what i chose
i bought the one with a white boat
and an orange sail back-grounded by
light blue clouds and coconut trees
and you told me that the fisherman
is not there and i responded that
he is with his wife inside their
house making up with the time lost.