Painting Linh Dinh

There are two Linh's

and you must paint both.

There is canvas on a roll.

It is the last of your canvas

and you must use the last of the roll.

There is gesso and there is duct tape.

You must gesso.

You must duct tape.

If you have gold fish you must attend 

to your gold fish first. I have turtles.

I cleaned the tank.

If you have cats you must clean the litter box.

I have dogs.

I fed them.

There is a song.

Norwegian wood.
You listen to it a few times while you flip

Linh on your laptop and change him to sepia.

You crop Linh Dinh.
You study the shadow on his nose.

You listen to John sing about the girl

that once had him. 

You start to think about what defines you.
You forget about Linh and listen.

It is a rubber soul in your hands.
You are five.
Viet Nam is in the news.

You are staring at the four boys.

You are five.
Their hair is long.

Your father is pacing.

Your mother is pretty.

She puts on her lipstick and hands

you a cookie. The news is bad.

You walk up to the black and white

television and switch to Mighty Mouse

and Bullwinkle. Your uncle is in high school.
It is his Rubber Soul you have been playing.

He gets mad you placed your cookie crumb fingers

on the vinyl. You go back to your 64 crayons box

and paint a blue sky while Viet Nam is in the news.