Art Explained by a Writer: Rejected (1883)

I am the candidate you are looking for.
Whatever you ask,
with me everything will be perfectly in order.
I have years of experience,
I perform excellently as part of a team,
I make the decisions and take responsibility,
and on top of all that, I can even spell my name.

He had practised it at least a thousand times in front of the mirror. After all, it was wise to leave nothing to chance.

The employer looked the scrawny figure up and down with curiosity. Not for a moment had he expected that a character of such boastful type would respond to the advertisement. No diplomas, no CV, no certificate of good conduct, no references, no one who could confirm that he was telling the truth.

The employer cleared his throat and said, “I appreciate your self‑confidence, but self‑confidence alone is not a competence. Without papers, without any proof of what you claim, I’m afraid I cannot hire you.”

The candidate paused for a moment, nodded and walked out with his head held high. Once home, he went straight to his sister’s bedroom, sat down on the bed and stared at the mirror. The thing stared back insolently. It gave his sister the necessary confidence to achieve what she wanted. He stared at his own reflection. His sister came in and watched the silent scene for a while before kneeling beside him and asking,

“Were you at least able to spell your name?”

“I didn’t need that anymore. That man didn’t even ask about it.”

_{Painting: Rejected (1883) - oil on canvas - public domain
Painter: Tom Roberts
27-3-2026
The contest Art & Writing is hosted by @solperez. If you like creative writing, poetry, story writing take a painting and share what your creative mind came up with.
@jiva34 @almaguer @emmabritt @akdx}