DISCARDS

I. Composer

Wracked with problems of the bowels,

sick and damned with tinnitus,

Ludwig tore up his tenth symphony.

When Gerta came to clean his room,

finding shreds of notes beneath his bed,

she swept them up to fuel the kitchen fires.

II. Artist

Behind five months in rent payments,

an artist in Arles gave his landlord a painting.

In the long cold winter months that followed,

the landlord’s wife used it for kindling;

“Still another picture of sunflowers!” she said.

“Such a waste of his brother Theo’s money!”

III. Author

Hans Schmidt is a dour man, grown old before his time.

He fidgets behind his desk, uniformed and pretentious.

In the last two years, he’s lost most of his hair.

His wife wants out. Frowning, Schmidt dispatches a group

of Jews to the showers. Among them is a frail teenager

with huge eyes. Her name is Anne.

∼ Marge Simon

© Copyright Marge Simon. All Rights Reserved.