ars brevis

the wolf in the cello spoils the string quartet

a paintings worth multiplies by millions

for the addition of a name and the scraping of varnish

which echoes the resined bow across the viol de gamba

once played by the lover portrayed in aged and craquelured

oils by someone better known than any artist

will be tomorrow when the musics over

and the coda is the aftershock from all

the instruments being smashed for firewood

to keep us warm as the oil from la giaconda

crackles the canvas shrivelling into ash and

eternity

Footnote: The wolf-tone in a stringed instrument occurs when the played note matches the natural resonating frequency of the body of the instrument.