I turned the flowers to nod to the wall
spiny backs exposed,
flipped the painting,
uncovered a tear
where the framing knife slipped,
found cloth torn by cats
on the padded back,
up-ended the tables,
reversed the rug,
split the walls
open to the studs,
pulled out insulation,
ripped up floorboards,
yanked through nails,
reached into sewer pipes,
pulled them inside out,
tore the house away
from power lines,
its web of pipes,
knocked off sod and trees,
shook out furniture,
flipped the roof,
punched out the cellar,
crushed the shell into a ball,
and held it over your head –
The shadow froze your ardour.
You looked up
as I looked down –
you were so small.
Alexandra Petrova (1964 – )
To learn more: http://iwp.uiowa.edu/writers/petrova-alexandra
Cover: detail of BGL Canadissimo (the Canada Pavilion) at Venice Art Biennale (Giardini, until November 22, 2015). Courtesy picture: Diana Marrone.
To learn more about this Québécois collective, http://artreview.com/features/may_2015_feature_bgl_canadissimo/