The Artistry of Andrew

by Jeannie E. Roberts

it's the way the moon smiles

or is it the sun that beams

above the strong stance

of zebra striped and stippled

atop blades of grass 

it's the way white rouses

black and black answers

back with spatial distinction

it's the way it breathes with

ready line and the freewheeling

design of a child's hand

it's the way her heart holds

a magic place a sacred space

for her son and his first-grade

painting

* * * * * *

"The Artistry of Andrew" first appeared in Silver Birch Press. 

Jeannie E. Roberts has authored six books, including The Wingspan of Things (Dancing Girl Press, 2017), Romp and Ceremony (Finishing Line Press, 2017), Beyond Bulrush (Lit Fest Press, 2015), and Nature of it All (Finishing Line Press, 2013). She is also author and illustrator of Rhyme the Roost! A Collection of Poems and Paintings for Children (Daffydowndilly Press, an imprint of Kelsay Books, 2019) and Let's Make Faces! (author-published, 2009). Her work appears in print and online in North American and international journals and anthologies. She holds a B.S. in secondary education, M.A. in arts and cultural management, and is poetry editor of the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs. When she’s not reading, writing, or editing, you can find her drawing and painting, or outdoors photographing her natural surroundings.