Lifeclass Poem by Doug Lane

Curtains are drawn
to thwart peeping Toms
and the usually female model
disrobes and arranges herself
on the little platform
in the center
of the circle
of easels.

As an exercise
in sharpened perception
and expression
our first sets of sketches
are rendered
upside down
though the model
remains
rightside up.

Warming to the task,
we then draw her
as Clytemnestra
stabbing Agamemnon
to death
in the imperial bathtub.

We have to imagine Agamemnon,
and many of our imaginations
are aided by our memories
of Troy, the movie.

From there we move on
to portraying the model
as Antigone
guarding the corpse
of her father King Oedipus
in Sophocles' tragedy.
We're on our own- -
there is no theatrical feature
or sitcom
to aid us.

Then we move on to
21st Century mythology
with quick sketches
of President Trump "accidentally"
walking into the White House
bathroom
just as Ivanka
steps from her shower.

Lastly, we portray
the Kardashians
tearing Caitlyn
to shreds
and devouring
her head.

All these
challenges
to hand and eye
are made more difficult
when the model
happens to be male,
but nothing is impossible
in art.
Though the devil
is in the details,
we are not
daunted.