The Pigment of Illustration

Rain falls Lights brighten the space above the sidewalk There on the corner stands a girl She stands tall yet frail Her face is in anguish, so pale Pain clearly controls her The emotion on her face is washed out like the light softly brushing the pavement. She screams, tears stream but there is no sound No way to convey the truth No one to witness reality Suddenly a crowd forms from the darkness A wide range of individuals Looking pained Looking lost They all scream in unison Still their screams are hushed She is in the center now All the individuals are isolated from each other Each in their spaces of pain A new form of crowd immerges They are bright and glad they laugh and there is sound Ringing clearly They whisper happiness is a choice They burn bright Contrasting to the black and white individuals Suddenly the girl stops screaming Tears stop streaming She brushes her coal black hair from her eyes and rolls up her sleeves She grabs a marker She writes “Freedom of expression” Along the pavement squares Like the completion of a crossword She draws a paintbrush and paints her heart She spills her soul She releases her grief She draws a microphone and sings Sings her mind She spills her innovation She draws and paints and creates Feels and thinks and exists She cries and laughs and breaths She colors her world and when she screams Notes and chords Rain and sunshine Light and dark Pain and joy Are set free As the others watch her they begin to follow They scream and Rain falls Everyone can hear the piercing Expression Is Freedom.