Expiration Date by Ivan Jenson

The newness is
conspicuously missing
so is the freshness
replaced by
a been there, done that
quality to quantitive experience
that under other circumstances
would have made my heart
skip like a schoolboy at recess
and God bless
but I no longer wish to impress
and am perfectly fine
with affordable wine
in any case something slow
is happening faster
than I thought it would
and when I privately
confront my demons
I find them
frolicking with my
spirit angel guides
and the way they laugh at me
makes it very hard
for me to forget
that after all this time
I am still the one-liner
that I still don't get

Ivan Jenson is a fine artist, novelist and contemporary poet who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His artwork was featured in Art in America, Art News, and Interview Magazine and has sold at auction at Christie’s. Ivan was commissioned by Absolut Vodka to make a painting titled Absolut Jenson for the brand’s national ad campaign. His Absolut paintings are in the collection of the Spiritmusuem, the museum of spirits in Stockholm, Sweden.  

Jenson's painting of the “Marlboro Man” was collected by the Philip Morris corporation. Ivan was commissioned to paint the final portrait of the late Malcolm Forbes.  Ivan has written two novels, Dead Artist and Seeing Soriah, both of which illustrate the creative and often dramatic lives of artists. Jenson's poetry is widely published (with over 600 poems published in the US, UK and Europe) in a variety of literary media. A book of Ivan Jenson's poetry was recently published by Hen House Press titled Media Child and Other Poems, which can be acquired on Amazon. Two novels by Ivan Jenson entitled, Marketing Mia and Erotic Rights have been published hardcover. Ivan Jenson’s new novel, Gypsies of New Rochelle has been released by Michelkin Publishing. Ivan Jenson's website is: www.IvanJenson.com