ON CERTAIN WITS
who amused themselves over the simplicity ofBarnett Newman's paintings shown at BenningtonCollege in May of 1958

When Moses in Horeb struck the rock,
And water came forth out of the rock,
Some of the people were annoyed with Moses
And said he should have used a fancier stick.

And when Elijah on Mount Carmel brought the rain,
Where the prophets of Baal could not bring rain,
Some of the people said that the rituals of the prophets of Baal
Were aesthetically significant, while Elijah's were very plain.
--Howard Nemerov

via modern kicks