Love Poem: Painting You
Sally Eslinger Avatar
Written by: Sally Eslinger

Painting You

Painting You

Before painting, I first sketch you
In my mind’s eye…To compose
The lines, shapes, shadows and lights, 
That work altogether to form a semblant sight
Of you for any relative, friend or acquaintance…

Next, I embrace the required courage
To face the blank canvas; to dip my brush 
In sublime tones for my wild orchid wishes,
Wanting to stroke across the heavens
For reflecting starlights bright,
Which I’ll situate to split the darker places
Where the inks bleed and branch out
Around you, smudging your purest colors…

That I endeavor to recover
When illness tries to smother
You with a viridescent blanket for on-going days;
Cloaking the glance of your azure blue eyes; 
Pulling gray and white from your skull
To streak through your forest brown hair;
Rushing flag red moments to your cheeks 
When you growl, “No.  Don’t—“ when I 
Try any way to help you through the fevers
That hang dredged plum-violet clouds over
The sofa — away — where you stay sleeping…

While I sit crimson awake worrying,
Watching you breathe…And asking
Through faith’s golden prayers for your healing;
For our holy Lord to send some ministering angels 
— With their glistening opaline feathered wings;
Who side by side, place hands on you ~ veiling
My first view of prayers’ answers coming true;
Lifting me to a bloom of rosebud gratitude.

I paint you never far.
I paint your ocean blue eyes opening.
I paint you always beside me in a sandcastle brown.
I dapple the air over us an effervescent pink.
I paint your prism presence close.
I paint your mid-night’s Arora Borealis dancing hues.
Our love is a stippled, rolling color wheel
Of our linked diamond destinies: journeying
Together on amber roads under sapphire skies.


—————————————————

(c) sally young eslingwe 10/17-18/2023
Glory to God…