Sub-Total, by Robert Rauschenburg
LIghts burn out
Lights fade away
Which phrase stands the test of time?
Only tomorrow can say
But tomorrow can only speak
In hushed tones
Out of connected speakers
Intact.
Better than blown
The light of tomorrow feels dark
No matter the energy saved today
No matter the skin reach of your fingertips
Loosening to graze
Stretching to slide
On to its perfect candle
That definable portrait
Twice painted by Rauschenberg
This symmetrical vision
Stenciled onto a canvas
Matted polyurethane liquid coat
Mixed into a frame
Invisible to the scent