Compliance

"El que quiere celeste...," by Maria Sarandón

Compliance

If an image is beautiful but inaccurate
how ethical is that beauty

For instance in the arm of an airplane seat
occasionally we will see a silver rectangle
responsive or unresponsive to our touch
marking where an ash tray would have been

And it seems plausible that sealed within
countless metal arms would be the ashes
of a cigarette enjoyed in 1973 or 1981
chalky marrow inside the bone of the arm
under your arm

For an image to be true what exactly is required
of reality

[Image above by Maria Sarandón]