Jared Bernstein
King Mediocre , 2023
acrylic, oil stick, graphite pencil and spray paint on canvas
164 x 212 cm
65 x 83 in
Facing all my fears
With silent primal tears
Showering my peers
Grabbing at straws
Swinging from trees
Chucking spears
Something seems queer
I’ve heard the jeers
Seen the sneers
A constellation of spheres
I’ve made my career
Begging for your cheers
It’s crystal clear
I sense that you’re near
It’s bizarre I’m a star
Unfazed
Still running plays from the old days
Riding the waves
Another fleeting crave
Crazy like a craze
Entering a new phase
Changing my evil ways
The way I behaves
Only my mother gives praise
But still I’m dazed
Confused and amazed
Still chasing my tail in this maze
Putting the future in front of the past
First things first last things last
That deserves its own paragraph
But this is just a rough draft
At best
Alas
This is going nowhere fast
Mastering my craft
At last
On point
And on task
Feeling rash
Taking every risk
Flying my flag at full mast