i’ve never been a jealous person

we each have our own truths to live

our own paths to follow yet…

i’ve always wanted to be a painter

take brush to canvas  and outline

the images that dance in my mind

welcome you to my truths,

hear the ahhhhh’s inspired as

you stand before my art transfixed

but that’s not my shtick

no, words are my medium

dull boring motionless words

words don’t splatter across my apron

marking me as artist shrouded in

mystery you won’t wonder what is

she working on

words don’t make messes in my artist alcove

words are quiet little things that

must be read before they are heard

no, i’m not a jealous person

i don’t want to walk in anyone’s shoes

but i’d like to hang a poem

and watch  you ahhh and ohhh

at it’s wonder

at least once

before i’m gone.

Elizabeth Catlett and Mickalene Thomas are two artists, both women, both black. Their paintings speak to me. For me they link the struggles made and overcome by generations of black women.  It’s striking to me that the eyes of the women in each of the paintings shown here the subject’s eyes share the same weariness and expectation though the settings and timeline are radically different. It leads me to wonder if progress is really progressing.