Billy Has Mind Tics by Neil Ellman

(after the painting by George Condo)



Billy Has Mind Tics

(after the painting by George Condo)


Billy has mind tics
the kind that makes his eyes go pop
when he sees a painting by Miró
or considers his own mortality
and the ever-expanding universe.

The kind that makes him fix his tie
even when he isn’t wearing one
or his brain goes blank
when he tries to remember his name
or the shape of his soul.                                  

The kind that makes him shout
obscenities at the moon   
for doing little more than laughing
at his silly jokes
and glowing when there is no need.
  
Poor Billy can’t sit still.
He lives on Adderal and Ritalin.
He doesn’t drink coffee anymore
but his hands still tremble
when he hears a spider in the dark.          

Neil Ellman is a poet from New Jersey.  He has published numerous poems, more than 1,000 of which are ekphrastic and written in response to works of modern art, in print and online journals, anthologies and chapbooks throughout the world.  He has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize and twice for Best of the Net.

Editors Note: This is an ekphrastic poem and based on a work of modern art. 
   

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