Painting With Emotion (For Beverly)

It's significant that paint is wet,
almost like emotion,
creating a palette that covers
as it discovers
what it means to be born
a human.

This is not play.  
We fight hard as if in battle
to discover, recover and share
what we uncover:
joy neglected, silly fears,
and often the offer
of suffer.

Each painting opens itself
for the world to see
the unexpected:
the unvarnished truth
of beauty
all humans share.
The question is: Do we dare
at how high the cost?

Good paintings leave us humbled,
perhaps, distraught,
at the same time agreeably relieved
to have expressed our own humanity,
thus, glad we’re freed
of the burdens of pride and ago
and free to be.