Poem

Dawn Drawn Using the Reductive Method

Not the best view, from here in the front row

of the back room that juts into the yard,

but not bad, warm behind windows framing

blackened pictures, nighttime thickly rendered

in soft charcoal applied in quick even

strokes, warp and weft, worked deep into the tooth

by a careful hand with a feel for shape,

line and value, big forms blocked out first,

composition balanced, unified by

negative space, finger working quickly,

carbon loaded softened chamois bringing

out the mid tones, rhythm emerging, the

ragged edges of trees, bold oblique

lines of my neighbors roofs, details refined,

edits made with a range of erasers,

warm, pulled kneaded, sharp edged pink and

the pointy pencil modal, perfect tool

to highlight my gratitude for a brand
new day, yet another messy drawing.