Booth

Appreciate Pricelessness

You fell asleep in the photo booth. All night long the soft popping of blinding 
lights couldn’t dislodge you from your slumber. What malfunction here, 
what perfect happenstance?  ‘The Dream’ 77 strips, 308 images
in black & white, four per sheet, sent from heaven, a pure seraphic vision.

The next morning, whilst picking you up, I slyly stole your soul away.
I pasted the whole to a white canvas board, filled in a form
and submitted my efforts to the Royal Academy summer exhibition,
which they accepted. It sold, handsomely, on the first day. Red dot.

The person who bought the work had no idea who you were, which
made it easy for them to fall in love with you. They sought me out 
trying to find you, but I wouldn’t let the secret, or you, go 
not even for more money than I had pocketed in the first place. 

They tracked you down regardless and consumed you into their life and 
out of mine. Who am I kidding that you would have stayed here anyway. 

We should, perhaps, not turn the things we love into art or if we 
must, keep them for our eyes and emotional consumption only. 

Appreciate pricelessness.

Florence, Italy, 2017. Nikon F80 - mangled by happenstance by the scanner