I swirl my eyes inside the paint

tears forming at the edges of me
later, I will say it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen
I’m not sure that’s true — there are people I love
and sometimes I’ve made them happy —
but right there, right then, in that skin
somewhere in the midst of its 27 day cycle of rebirth
Monet was beside me,
hand hovering over my shoulder,
unsure, until a tear fell, catching under my chin
his fingers squeezed soft as he leaned in,
now you see what I see

Kate LaDew is a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BA in Studio Art.  She loves writing and illustrating and resides in Graham, NC with her cats, Charlie Chaplin and Janis Joplin.