if war, then art

(a word-play poem inspired by Brenda Shaughnessy's "Artless")

Hopeless?

If yes, where art you?

How art you?

How do you propose to fight,

weaponless?

Nay; armed

with brush, clay, and words—

not swords.

So, hopeless?

No! Feel

the bite-like wound that winds

into an affront,

frontierless.

Here are my knife,

my harpy rapier,

my iron might—

not mightless!

Not meek, but steel;

art steals in cold

to embolden

meekness.

The untold, forgotten

weakness art seeks

to quash,

breathless,

to breadthlessness

‘til it ceases

to ease you into

actionlessness.

No! Act: Art!

At war

we art with the

humanlessness of

a bot

that pretends

it can think and paint and write,

mindless!

Be instead all mind,

all body,

embolden and embody art

artlessly,

without artifice.

Resist!

Be bottomless.

Be botless:

make art.