A Recollection

I paint when I want to Or when someone pays.
I’ve been drawing and  painting  and writing
Since 1956 when Mama and Daddy
Got lessons for me In Birmingham, Alabama.
I climbed the stairs at Mrs. Cone’s Rickety old house.
The smell of linseed oil welcomed me
Into a wonderful world of vision and color.
She showed me how to measure a still life
With the handle of a paint brush. I was amazed!
I have carried Mrs. Cone’s instruction
through the years of measurements
With the handle of a paint brush.

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