Tulip / A Painting by Joshua Wait

Many paintings are simply happy accidents.
Lavender brushed onto the canvas,
Then white. White bleeds into the lavender.
A damp cloth and angry scrubbing
Turn the lavender into grey.
Teal, dabs of teal on top of the grey.
The grey and teal take on a flavor
Like chocolate seasoned with pepper—
It makes sense to the palette
But not to the mind.
When the brushing and dabbing of teal is done,
The lavender is gone entirely.
Ocre and yellow find their way onto the canvas
Like lost friends showing up at the door on a rainy night.
Come in, come in, dear friends, I love you so.
Dry yourself,
Stay a while,
And I’ll shower you with affection.