A Portrait of the Young Man as an Artist

Electric sun
thick precious art paper
100 colored markers,
bizzare instruments
classical Thai music from the speakers

He starts to draw
the muse awakes

His mind struggles
his hand shakes
but steadies again and again
making sharp lines,
juxtaposing harmonious colors
all taking the form of concepts
(conceived in contemplation
and applied in the moment)

Challenges are anticipated
and headed off,
imperfections are met
with mumbled curses:
the brighter colors thrill
the young artist
(distracting him briefly
from tension and pain)

His father,
who at times valued his visual art
more than his literature,
always pleasantly said he had
"a certain style"

More and more
he is in practice,
like a tide coming up the shore
gaining steadily

There is a muted bliss:
this new excellence,
without words and thoughts and worries,
pleases him

The drawings are still
abstract, primitive, and symbolic
but perhaps next summer
he'll take out a booth
at the Saturday market