I will paint Carole Lombard, Myrna Loy, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn
in the lobby of an elegant hotel,
speaking to each other as though they are old friends
who met unexpectedly.
The lobby of the hotel framed by sandstone-colored columns and arches
like those that Quattrocento painters created
in the magical landscapes
that surround their resonant Biblical narratives.
And in the background, the stars of early Hollywood who died too young:
Rudolph Valentino, Veronica Lake, Carole Landis, Alan Ladd, Jean Harlow.
There are many others.
It was only last week that I watched Grace Kelly in High Society,
sitting by the swimming pool while a toy sailboat metamorphosed into a sloop
carrying two newlyweds out of Newport Harbor.