by Julia Griffin

“Man arrested after Mona Lisa smeared with cake
Man, 36, placed in psychiatric care after painting’s display case covered in cake
in apparent climate protest … In 2009 a Russian woman threw an empty teacup
at the painting, which slightly scratched the case.”
—The Guardian

“The Italian name for the painting, La Gioconda, means ‘jocund’ (‘happy’ or ‘jovial’) or, literally, ‘the jocund one’,
a pun on… Lisa’s married name, Giocondo. In French, the title La Joconde has the same meaning.”
—Wikipedia

I fix my eyes on sights beyond.
I cannot dodge. I cannot flee.
It must be nice to be joconde.

I feel I’m staring through a pond.
This glass reflects. It’s hard to see;
I fix my eyes on sights beyond.

If I could wave a magic wand,
I’d change the climate, honestly.
It must be nice to be joconde.

I’m not permitted to respond
When smeared with cake or cups of tea;
I fix my eyes on sights beyond.

La bouche la plus fameuse du monde!
It isn’t easy being me.
It must be nice to be joconde.

I think I’d like to go ash blonde,
Break out and run, unknown and free!
I fix my eyes on sights beyond:
It must be nice to be. —Joconde.