 Prior to the loss of my vision, I was a legal secretary where I prepared cases for judges in the Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas. But painting was my passion. Devastated when I could no longer paint, a new dream resurrected. After a long and winding road, today, instead of painting my pictures on canvas, I paint my pictures with words.
Yesterday
 Was it only yesterday
I painted Rome 2,000 years ago?
When most of the known world was ruled by the Roman Forum
as it appeared in late antiquity.
I painted the ancient Coliseum
 where cruelty was cheered by spectators
in superimposed tiers.
I painted the ruins of Villa Adriana
where mosaic marvels slumbered
 until its excavation unburied a builder’s splendor
whose vision it was to incorporate the seven wonders of the world
in one site.
I painted the Valley of the Temples
where most of its grandeur lies in ruin
with the exception of mighty architecture which failed
to fall, acquiesce, or perish beneath ashen rock.
But still, it stands tall, erect, and inept in this maze of modern amenities.
 Was it only yesterday
I painted Pompeii,
a once opulent resort for wealthy Romans
buried beneath ash and stone until its excavation
revealed hidden marvels
and the Roman empire was rebuilt?
 Was it really only yesterday that painting was my dream
my passion my life?
It seems like only yesterday
my life erupted like a volcano, my vision destroyed,
burying my dreams of painting until
like ancient Rome, my life was rebuilt.
 From the maze of mayhem and rubble
a new dream resurrected
renewing hope and inspiration for a brighter tomorrow.
Today, motivated by new insight,
instead of painting pictures on canvas,
I paint my pictures with words.
|
