Studio, 4:37 PM

This mixing the paint—like so.
See? It takes great care.
You stare at this palette for
so long, all the colors look like one,
but no color you’ve seen before.
For this still life, you have a pear,
a cracked dish, an old knife;
you need a delicate glacé of green,
with just enough yellow among
and in-between to make the
fruit soft to the eye’s touch.
A blush of red with the grey
Suggests a warm shadow on
the dish’s scarred face, to make
the anger of the crack
easier to take. And the knife?
Feather black with the steel
and streaks of white; balance
the light and shade, so you
cannot tell whether a tool
of harm or good. You must
say more than dish, knife, pear—
you make a metaphor; ask
why and what for?

When you are done, clean
the brushes well, to be ready
for next time. I’m going down
to lock the door. What more,
how much better
could I tell you?