Our Painting

courtesy of paint.about.com

I was rummaging through my ‘in-box’ today for something and came across a poem I wrote that was dated 3/22/12. I remember when I started this poem. I was at LEAF Kitchen in Iowa City waiting for my friend to arrive for our breakfast date. As I thought about our friendship, our collective experience as survivors, and our meeting that day, I envisioned myself as a painter, then I saw us painting together. The poem flowed from my desire to capture our shared experiences, emotions, and hopes.

Our Painting
By Vicki L. Flaherty

The canvas white with possibility
Old expectations pushed off the edges
Past chapters of life lost outside the frame
Emptiness waiting impatiently to be filled
The blank fabric inviting the dreamer

The stories we want to believe begin like lines gracing the page
Raw emotions we dare to courageously express form a rich texture
Light dancing on the images as if our wholeness were tapping our shoulders
Shadows echo the acceptance that so gently hides beyond our grasp
Bold colors blending in a balance symbolic of our power and grace
Shapes take form like hope rising boldly from our hearts
The picture emerges erupting our intentions for the future
The artful beauty arises a reflection of our perfect souls

© Vicki Flaherty, 2012