Painted Lady Poem by Kewayne Wadley

The light shines down on the portrait of you.
Highlighting every detail. Framed behind a glass wall.
Crosshatched shadows persist. Filling in the gaps
too small to be covered by brush bristles.
A unique outline of watercolors dried.
Traced by light etching of a lead pencil.
Repainted to bring out the texture of your skin.
The canus made silk with various stokes of paint.
Light hues, made darker with deeper strokes
A show of skill, imitating clay fixtures.
The poised position of your head.
The pointed end of the brush turned around.
Detailing the likeness of your hair.
Each beautiful strand brought to life
Mixing into the background.
Bringing the subject of your smile closer.
Lips partially covering your gums.
Aesthetic to the eyes.
An architectural manifestation of beauty.
Built by hesitant brushwork.
Careful in nature.
Your shirt, pieces of paper.
Painted smooth with glue, cut and pasted.
Colored to match the background.
The spectors admire in awe.
Under the light of the museum