Still growing

I’m always seeking to reconcile 

The difference between the art I appreciate 

 And the art I create. 

Those paintings I appreciate are simple, bold, 

Like this photograph, 

 With just a few added elements 

 To spice things up a bit. 

But the ones that I create are so much busier, 

As if some part of me cannot allow 

Any part of the canvas to be silent; 

As if that meditative space is not enough 

To engage the watching eye, I.e., mine. 

I suspect the paintings perfectly represent 

 The tension between who I long to be 

And who I am, and I need to be patient with that. 

Who knew that at this age I’d still be growing…