Picasso's 'Bust of Sylvette'
August 1, 1984
(In 1983 it was determined that this outdoor concrete sculpture in Greenwich Village was being damaged by acid rain and treatment with a sealant was undertaken to protect ''her.'')
acid rain, falling ...
on the streets of New York,
on Sylvette
the scaffolding
leans against Sylvette's face
a flight of pigeons
''she's an old friend ... ''
a professor pauses to watch
the protective resin treatment
moonlight
and a jazz riff, playing
across her face