Consciousness commands a shift of focus – tired of the clash of colours stimulation overload – my muse is leaning towards the nuance of black and white
A study of shadows and shading and how light arouses the soul
Speak to me in subtleties she whispers in tones suggestive of hidden depths; I am listening
And so I submerge myself clear the palette of vibrant hues and take up the lowly pencil seek the promise in colourless world.
No one told me, in my haste to grow up, that adulthood, awash with responsibility, would also be lonely
And, no one told me that the days and nights of sweating over lessons would likely not lead to the life imagined
nor that commitment – the kind portrayed in movies – does not exist – the word itself bearing more substance than the act, fickle as it is
No one told me that motherhood would change my reality permanently, colouring it with unfathomable pain and joy – such juxtaposition
And, no one told me that every battle I ever arm myself for, regardless of its justification, is really a struggle with self – inner demons the most menacing.
I never imagined that age, with seismic force, would alter my perspective so – leave me barren and yet enriched, enthralled with the ordinary and unfazed by the rest
And, in the end, as I watch the vernal rains announce renewal, in the quiet of my solitude, I am amazed and grateful for all that this crazy, driven life has become and that no one ever told me.
(This is an edited version of a poem published in April, 2019. Art my own.)
Coordinated by the curator of our local art gallery, the poetry circle partnered with a photographer to create The Minimalist Eye. Yours truly has two poems featured in the project: Slanted Orange and Big Red.
To see the full exhibition, visit the virtual tour: