Canvas

Encouragement, not an insult...

When I draw you, you’re never attractive

When I draw you, you always look dead

A mannequin figure with a sickly grey pallor

And an oblong, potato shaped head.

 

When I sketch you, your hair is like toothpicks

When I paint you, your lips are like slugs

Your ears are like pancakes that fell from the pan

And your acne mimics ladybugs.

 

How I wish I could show all my drawings to you

So you know you inhibit my thoughts

But my art would insult you and maybe you’d think

I’ve set out to rupture your heart.

 

My drawings are sickening, I must admit

I stipple like I’m drawing blood

I aim for the vein but instead hit a nerve

And that can’t be very good.

 

In truth, you embody perfection

It’s my own fault I can’t draw you so

Disfigurement and horror was never my goal

And the sight is taking its toll.

 

If only you knew your reflection

Recognized that mirrors tell lies

They try to reflect you like I try to draw

And their failure makes you break down and cry.

 

Step away from your canvas, my friend

And I’ll lend you my finest brush

Paint onto the world your fingerprints, and

Add that magical touch.

Author's Note

Canvas = Mirror, in many senses.
-
In real life I am pretty good at drawing...

Reviews

[Sapphire Naylor]

This is a beautiful. I can relate because I suck at drawing. I enjoyed it.

[A.M. Victoria (LostWritings)]

Thanks! I know what you mean. For me, I'm great at drawing creatures, places, etc., but when I draw humans I always do something wrong. I was surprised when my art teacher put my human portrait work in an art contest once, because it was done in black charcoal pencil and somehow it turned out... blue? And I love the look of manga characters but people just laugh at mine... :)

[Sapphire Naylor]

That is awesome :) I'm sure you are a wonderful drawer! You are a good writer by my standards if that means anything :)

[A.M. Victoria (LostWritings)]

Thank you very much! I will have to check out your work, too. :)

[Brittany Zedalis]

I wasn't expecting this poem to go the way it did because of the first stanza, but my, I'm glad it did. This is amazing.

[A.M. Victoria (LostWritings)]

Thank you so much! Yeah it's a little unexpected. :)

[Nusquam Esse]

Haha, I can relate to this to a certain degree. Not in that I am a bad artist... I am actually pretty good. My problem is that whenever I try to draw or write something happy, it almost always turns into some sort of macabre tragedy; as if with each word I write I further damn myself. I would be given a subject that no one would think could end badly, including myself, and in the end... it would be unpleasant. It is all particularly odd, since I am actually a very upbeat person who has never struggled with depression.

[A.M. Victoria (LostWritings)]

Lol, I see where you're coming from! That's interesting that you can relate, having your happy writings/drawings turn tragic instead. Well, thanks for the review! :)