https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435839
(In Public Domain)
Fourth Sister – 05/17/21
…well, so what if she lives in Oklahoma City… Oh, it just chafes her butt when they say “Oklahoma City” like it was some sort of disease. Just chafes her butt and she downright told them so. And all she said was that she has always wanted to see Venice…what was wrong with that? Ohh…they had better not give her more reasons to get riled up…ha, ha, ha, and they know that because they have seen, on occasion, what it looks like when she gets really riled up. Really!!! So, ok, now getting back to Venice, where was she?… Oh, ok, talking about the canals… In fifth grade, Mr. Andrews, oh, he was her favorite teacher, at times, after lunch, he would tell about places he had visited and one day, he told them about Venice. And maybe that day she was just happy and really listening, as it was her birthday, and when Mr. Andrews spoke of Venice, she didn’t hear his words, but she saw all the pictures of Venice he seemed to paint in the air with his words, the afternoon sunlight painting the ripples from the oars of the gondolas gold, as if with each stroke, the oars had a Midas touch and for a moment turning the water into gold, and walking through the Piazza San Marco and all the pigeons rising as his careful footsteps brought him near and seeing as they lifted from the stones of the Piazza two small white feathers slowly drift and float to the ground, and the setting sun hitting the tower, as a golden obelisk pointing to the sky, where magnificent clouds of white and pink and gold silently sailed over the city – sights and joys and glory she had never forgotten – a birthday gift from Mr. Andrews, her fifth grade, her favorite teacher, ever.
❤️❤️❤️