Broad Rainbow Way III

My euphoria rises to such a crescendo that I am oblivious of the new prototype. The mural before me erupts into a blinding white light that whirls around me. My palette knife flies like an eagle spattering textured brilliance. Like energetic Broadway dancers, my brushes sway, jump and spin.

This light radiates from the torch of a statue on a small island south of downtown. I paint the Statue of Liberty with strong broad strokes. It stands tall, proud, and strong. From the late 1800's through the first half of the twentieth century, millions of people arrived on Ellis Island. I paint their ghostly images. Some of them look toward the shining light from the Statue of Liberty. The light radiates into the heavens and over the harbor. It bathes Ellis Island and surrounds, and penetrates Manhattan. My thick brush moves in long, straight, strokes that form a ray that shoots out like a beacon and strikes its target.

This target stands to the left of the dark statue of George Washington located in front of the Greek Revival building known as Federal Hall. It is the Eye of Providence, the God of reason, the reverse side of the Great Seal. E pluribus unum . . . e pluribus unum . . ., proudly affirms our solidarity, rings within my being, echoes from my ears, glides onto the beam that reflects off of the Eye of Providence perched on its lofty height atop the thirteen layered pyramid. Then the white ray carries the motto onto the ribbon that lies in the beak of the obverse side of the Great Seal which is located to the right of Washington. This is the heraldic eagle. Its escutcheon has thirteen stripes, and it is crested by the Star of David that contains thirteen stars. It looks at its thirteen olive leaves in its right talon showing it prefers peace, but holds thirteen arrows in its left talon showing it can wage war. As the strong white beam emerges from the heraldic eagle it splits into parallel red, white and blue rays. Some people on the Federal Hall's steps have red, white, and blue striped eyes, and some have white glowing eyes.

These rays shine out onto Wall Street in front of the New York Stock Exchange. As these rays continue, the white rays stay the same but the red rays gradually turn bright gold and the blue rays slowly change to green. As these rays flow toward the middle of the New York Stock Exchange scene, they metamorphose into mighty, white headed, bald eagles that soar upward. They have grayish green feathers with metallic gold tips, gold beaks, and gold feet. They see through green metallic eyes. Some of the men and women on the street look at these eagles with glee and that same green glow in their eyes. These birds carry all kinds of things on their backs. One of the larger birds flies around a spinning globe. Another large eagle carries a miniature replica of the towers of the World Trade Center. From this eagle shines a greenish gold ray that splits and feeds the base of the mighty twin towers of the World Trade Center. From the top of the tall antenna of tower number one emerges the head of a king. He has a cold face of stone that overlooks his kingdom from his quarter mile height. Does he appreciate his regal status? Is he even aware of the significance of his gold crown covered with priceless jewels?

My brushes move toward the dethroned king, and keep moving up toward midtown. This time they do not stop or slow down. I do not want to rest or drink or eat. I want to keep feeling the shower of the paint, the flow of my sweat, the hard feel of the wall.

I stand back and look at what I have wrought. At first I scream and engage in hysterical laughter. Then more sobering thoughts emerge. What will the travel agency do?<<Writings>>