A Year In The Red Zone, and - The Imperial Poinsettia

 

                                        The Imperial Poinsettia, an original acrylic painting on canvas

                                        20" X 24", unframed

                                                          ( click on image to enlarge )

     Last December, in this blog, I posted a photo of another of my poinsettia paintings, 

which I called Symbols of Christmas.  This December, it seemed symbolic, in a number

of ways, to bookend this disastrous year, with another poinsettia painting.  In that blog 

entry, at the end of last year, I was expressing the hope that the new year would turn out 

to be a much better one for all of us, than the three preceding years had been.   But 

unfortunately, as we all know, things went from bad to worse. The year began with a 

pandemic, which has been growing and spreading with intensity ever since.  Day by day, 

the map of our nation has turned evermore red, in state after state, as the infection rate 

increases and the death toll rises.  We have gone from hundreds dying each day, to 

thousands dying each day, and our hospitals and healthcare workers are overwhelmed.  

     In the meantime, what kind of leadership have we been getting during this crisis?  

Right from the beginning, our president deliberately downplayed the significantly fatal 

nature of the coming plague, claiming that it was no worse than the flu and that it would 

soon fade away, even though he knew that was not true.  He then proceeded to 

encourage everyone to avoid taking the necessary precautions, to help prevent the 

spread of the disease, and he has continued to promote that irresponsible behavior.   

Just like Nero, the Roman emperor, he has been fiddling ( or golfing ) while Rome burns.     

     So , where does that leave us, now that the new year approaches?   Our position is

much like that of the miniature copy of the Borghese, ancient Roman gladiator, in my 

painting, whose sword and shield are broken, as he seems to be battling out from the 

overarching, red menace of the poinsettia.  Our shields and masks are also worn and 

broken, but the new weaponry of inoculations is arriving like the mounted cavalry, and 

the sound of the trouper's, bugle call is music to our weary ears.   Let us all hope that 

the honest, leadership of the incoming administration, with a firm belief in the truth of 

science, will eradicate this plague, and truly make our nation great again. 

                                                                             Eugene P. McNerney