Helga

By Sherrie Gonzales-Kolb

Dirty-blonde plaited hair.
in a soft brown,
cashmere sweater,
and let’s be honest,
a satiny camisole
to ward off
irritation.

Nudity is the
great equalizer
of people, but
she is wearing
a turtleneck,
peacefully
around her throat.

Her soft curves,
highlighted by
beams of sun,
prisms through
dirty windows,
covered
like the precious
pearls of great
price.

The  artist sees
the soul and merges
with his subject,
sketch, then brush,
stroke by stroke.

The Wisdom of Elders

Sunlight advances like
 dust on a sunbeam,
 linear and purposeful.

 Nature is only
 an approximation.

 How often does one
 apply meaning to the
 clichéd  chrysalis
 bursting forth new life
after a brutal winter?

 Solomon does not
 corner the market on
 ennui.

 What is new under the sun
she says is, in fact,
multitudinous and magnificent.

 Passivity is a cloud
 rendering passion
 quadraplegic.

So she tells the story,
tracing the map with her
gnarled fingers,

Leading us to a place, where
even De Leon could find
his fountain in the desert.