Wednesday, April 27, 2011

To paint a bird's portrait ( Pour faire le portrait d'un oiseau de Jacques Prévert)


***
First of all, paint a cage
with an opened little door
then paint something attractive
something simple
something beautiful
something for the benefit of the bird
Put the picture on a tree
in a garden
in the woods
or in a forest
hide yourself behind the tree
silent
immovable...

Sometimes the bird arrives quickly
but sometimes it takes years before it decides
Don't be discouraged
wait
wait for years if necessary
the rapidity or the slowness of the arrival of the bird
doesn't have any relationship
with the result of the picture

When the bird comes
if it comes
keep the deepest silence
wait until the bird enters the cage
and when it is in
Close the door softly with the brush
then remove one by the one all the bars

taking care not to touch any feathers of the bird

Then draw the portrait of the tree
choosing the most beautiful branch
for the bird
paint also the green foliage and the coolness of the air
the noise of the insects of the grass in the summer's heat
and then, wait until the bird decides to sing

If the bird doesn't sing
it's a bad sign
it means that the picture is wrong
but if it sings it's a good sign
it means that you can put
 your signature on the picture

so you tear with sweetness
a feather from the bird
and write your name in a corner of the painting.
***


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