Joan Miro's Wall of the Sun

by John Brantingham

“.. wherever you are, you find the sun, a blade of grass, the spirals of the dragonfly. Courage consists of staying at home, close to nature, which could not care less about our disasters. Each grain of dust contains the soul of something marvelous.” — Joan Miro

The highest wisdom is hope, even when
it seems wrong. The Greeks told us to doubt
and fear, but after a life of war you pulled out
that hope for us. Miro, your colored tiles, damn
if they don’t get me where I live. I wish
I could see through your hope, live inside
your hope, understand your hope, stride
this world with your hope as my only aegis.
Because so much of life is spent fighting
off the cyclops, irony suffusing his eye,
a smirk on his lips, and it doesn’t look
like we have a chance. Miro, he’s looming
over me every single day, telling me I’ll die;
he’ll throw me in a pot to watch me cook.