Easel camped out by the lake,

housing a canvas covered in graphite lines,

a sketch of a scene,

a blueprint for something

she hopes will be beautiful.

Brandishing an array of brushes,

pooling paints on sheets of paper,

trying to capture the colors

she beholds with binocular eyes.

The pale purple of

lacy lavender swaying

in a slow dance,

the washed out blue of

water gently waving

across the way,

the deep green of

trees standing on stoic trunks

with bobbing branch arms.

She wants to portray this snapshot perfectly,

knows she will have to

add touches of texture

and several different shades,

but she is not yet at that stage.

Just the simple act of

placing pigment on the picture

is progress.

The other day,

had coveted that very spot,

but couldn’t bring herself

to break out the tubes of hues

in her box.

Having gotten the base coat of chroma,

she is satisfied for now.

Nearby, I am perched on a bench,

penning a poem.

While she dabs a world of dye,

I scribble a realm of ink.

In this moment,

connected in our pursuit of art,

temporary companions

on the quest of creativity.

Susanne Wolf is a poet from Baltimore, MD. In October 2025, Susanne had five poems published in Adelaide Literary Magazine No. 81. Later in Fall 2025, Susanne has upcoming publications for two poems, one in the Blank Spaces issue of Stripes Magazine, and one in the Fall 2025 issue of Literary Cocktail Magazine.