~ Brush Strokes Poem by Adeline Foster

~ Brush Strokes

Rating: 4.8


~ Brush Strokes

A poet needs a model,
As sure as artist's brush.
We need not pay commission,
For the world will sit for us.
Our tools are simple and they're free-
A knowing heart and sympathy.
Yet these are bought at a dear price-
The pains and sufferings of life.
We paint the lines in a mother's face
Or the twinkling in an eye.
We sketch the history of a race
Or the creed of men who die.

Our easels have no preference
For light or shade or sheen.
Our models need not hold a pose;
We sketch the changing scene.
We write about the ugly;
We write about the fair,
And every time we turn our heads,
We find new subjects there-
The tinkling shades of laughter,
The restful shades of green.
And yet each line will bear a trace
Of everything we've seen.

I wrote it to a picture-
I wrote it to a song.
I wrote it to an old man
Shuffling along.
I wrote it to a garden-
I wrote it to a leaf.
I wrote it to an anguished cry-
I wrote it to relief.
I wrote it to an artist-
I wrote it to a sage.
And every time I lift my eyes,
There stands another page.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Topic(s) of this poem: poetry
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Mary Douglas 24 August 2014

This poem made me cry. Mary Angela Douglas

3 2 Reply
Susan Lacovara 07 February 2015

So eloquently captures the hand and heart of a poet. Reads like an instruction manual for learning life's lessons. Easy to find a daily mantra, in your lovely sentences, brush stroked with care. I invite you to wander around my writes, a common thread spun. PEACE

3 2 Reply
Yash Shinde 27 October 2012

great imagery........very truthful........a great masterpiece from a master poet.....lovely :)

3 2 Reply

Yes, yes, Yes! ! Beautifully and truly expressed! I love it.

3 2 Reply
Madeleine Wolf 17 August 2013

I am so glad I read this. This is such a beautiful poem! I love the imagery in it. You are a great writer!

3 2 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 19 November 2019

poetic greatness is expressed here greatly/// love this piece of work

0 0 Reply
Dorothy- A. Holmes 08 March 2017

Lovely and most certainly, my pleasure to read! Dorothy alves Holmes

0 0 Reply
Michael Walker 14 November 2016

Very effective use of repetition (anaphora) -'I wrote'. Profound thoughts.

0 0 Reply
Mary Douglas 23 July 2016

beautifully expressed vocation of a poet, of a particular poets and of the seen and unseen kind army of poets throughout all generations. It is such a wondrous relief to read this and know that a contemporary poet has written this. This way of looking at and loving and writing poetry seems almost forgotten in the general landscape of poetry now. Thank You!

0 0 Reply
Sarah Persson 25 May 2016

Bloomin perfect. You got it down to a tee. Brilliant is this piece of work I thank you for sharing this, I smiled all the way through it because above and beyond everything there will always be another page waiting to be filled with such a talent, in every poet.

0 0 Reply
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Adeline Foster

Adeline Foster

Instructor of poetry, Hagerstown, MD
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