Quiet, Artist At Work
If this world were a picture, just an uncoloured pencil sketch,
I would remove it from its frame, and pencil and rubber fetch.
I would erase all the bad things, and every mistake as well,
And duly make corrections, sketching happiness and not ill.
I would then fetch paint and brushes, and all sorts of colours try,
I would brighten up the faces of everyone passing by.
I would dab pink on every cheek, splash twinkles in every eye,
And the lives of every person continue to beautify.
I would rub out all the clouds, any smog too, and any pain,
I’d colour all the sea-shells so that they didn’t look so plain.
I would put a large yellow sun in the middle of the sky,
And I would paint the sky all blue — a blue that would catch the eye.
I would rub out all the weeds, and then sketch in shrubs and flowers,
Which I would brightly colour, filling in many pleasant hours.
And then with my dazzling paint brush, deftly held within my grip,
I would fill every empty life with loving companionship.
I would erase each orphanage, sketch each child into a home,
And I’d also sketch in dwellings for those homeless folk that roam.
I would rub out every tear-drop, and only beaming smiles draw,
And sketch in lots of money, enough for all those who are poor.
And any tree that dropped its leaves, I would erase from the scene,
Sketching in another one, which I would colour evergreen.
And those scary creepy crawlies I would soon erase as well,
Sketching in lots of others that people's phobias would quell.
Yes, I would take a big rubber, a pencil and brushes too,
And changes for the better would then creatively pursue.
Thus, you’d see a brighter picture, and this world coloured with love,
And in the right hand corner, I would then sign off with a dove.
By Lance Landall