As I look back on the years of my writing, I find that some of my poems and writings have stuck with me through thick and thin. These are writings that I periodically pull out and go over, sometimes changing completely, sometimes adding a little here or there. A few writings I have made no changes since its inception. One of my favorite pieces was a poem I wrote for Ladies Day during my sophomore year of college. A notice had gone out for a poetry competition featuring the topic, Paint me Beautiful. Since I love writing poetry, I decided to enter the competition. I have always done my best thinking while walking. That evening as I walked around campus I thought of the topic and about the artist’s process in creating a painting. All of a sudden the poem presented itself in its entirety. I rushed back to the dorm and wrote it down on paper. Several days later I found I had received honorable mention in the competition. To this day I still love this poem and what it says. I hope that you will enjoy it as well.

Paint Me Beautiful

Canvas

White, plain

An Artist, image

Masterpiece to be born

Mixtures of colors bright, beautiful

A brush holds gently the color

Artist, brush sweeps across canvas, releasing its hold

Diligently, expertly the Artist works the image into being

Hours upon hours, patience abound, the masterpiece is beautifully complete.

Myself

Plain, empty

God the Artist

What I’m to be

Image, held within His mind

Designing my life with His love

Setting to work with task in hand

Patiently, carefully He paints my life with color

Colors bright and beautiful, that of an artist’s paint

Paint me God, into the masterpiece I am to be.