Artwork by Olivia Rodgers

Olivia’s Art

By Linda S. Gunther

She painted me on a large flat
oddly shaped stone
found by the ocean
left me here to dry under a shaded tree
not far from the meandering path
where pedestrians
walk and talk the afternoon away
but Olivia did not come back for me

I sit on this perfectly smooth surface
a stunning work of art
unless someone comes along
lifts me up
drops me from a height
shattering me to bits of rubble
or
obliterates the ravishing me
with the haphazard strokes of a permanent marker
or
scrapes away my existence
using a sharp object of some sort
or
the skies turn gray and open
storm so wild my brilliant colors run
and wash away
or
I slowly fade in the hot sun

And the unique image
of me
is no longer recognizable
Invisible
Indecipherable
a ghost of what I once was