was the calm intentional or
a by-product of the process?
alla prima is carpe diem in oils
you must be in the moment
to push the paint into position
before it becomes fixed –
clouds and mountains demand
focus, their swift creation is
your only concern. You forget
what came before, stress carried
away by the Lazy River of Thalo Blue
and, whether you wield the brush
or just observe, you are suddenly
Happy. Did he know it would have
this effect? Was the true art
an awareness of our needs, for
he seems to have foreseen
meditation in Alizarin crimson
mindfulness in ultramarine

Nicki Blake / @strawberrythief is an emerging poet and writer of short fiction from Perth, Western Australia. She has been published online and in print. Nicki will neither confirm nor deny that her creativity is strongly influenced by red wine.