Art Teacher

to capture a still life

best

she said

it would be necessary

to live

in the spaces

between

things

to define these

accurately

with passionate idealism

to know intimately

where

nothing

is

where it belongs

and how it holds

all composition

together

to get her

she said

a lightness of touch

must be essential quintessence

made medium of massaged

oils

sinking into skin as ink

to mark this space

without crude and sharp boundaries

of such

reality

she said

to give this

edge

we

need

space

and there

as we spoke

with each stroke

rose the vitality

of be-

-stilled

life

and somewhere

a wiser hand

drew

breath