Purpose

Art -

that which fulfills a purpose

and yet not bound

nor curtailed

nor restrained

by that purpose

- stretches the perceiver,

animates the passive

gaze

(or quiet read)

and stirs

the heart and mind,

evoking that purpose.

Art can be so bold as

to inspire,

discomfort,

reveal,

sadden,

overjoy,

humble,

confuse,

confront,

or defy.

And yet, the artist

cannot contain the art,

control its purpose,

but must concede, rather,

to pursue the purpose,

and let the art bloom

beyond this pursuit.

The purpose is merely a gateway,

a stepping stone,

a foundation,

upon which - through which -

the art is created;

this purpose,

an essence,

a presence,

is a beginning,

not an ending,

not a box,

but a flower pot, with soil that feeds the growth

of those with the patience, the quiet, the focus,

to see what springs from the

art.