Art & Ice Cream

i am an Artist because inspiration lies within
the ocean and the trees.
because i believe in so much.
because i know that Art is fingers and they way
they intertwine with another’s hand.
and the way boys have beards and girls just don’t.

because my Mom will never stop saying “caa” when referring to a vehicle.
i choose Art because i have poor hygiene and cannot get out of bed.
because i see faces in the curtains.

i see Art because the earth is made of oil paints,
and oil paints are made from the earth.
with the skies pinks, blues, purples and greens,
who needs craft stores?

because in the summer my feet are always dirty.
because in the winter my socks are never clean.
because of that clear lucite at my Grandma’s house,
and when my freckles come out I can not keep my happiness to myself.

i am an Artist because I am far too good at brazen self promotion.
because i never let go of my camera
and you can quite often find me in abandoned buildings.
because of those awful rabbi’s on the computer room wall,
and those quirky signs in the kitchen.

i am an Artist because i live in New Jersey,
and sometimes i feel like i am the only one
who thinks it’s the greatest place on Earth.
also because my Nana’s ceramic elephant has only had one tusk for years.

i am an Artist because I like hammocks and tea,
the city, and strawberries.
because sometimes makeup is fun;
and other times i think it’s the most terrible thing ever.
because my Ipod capacity is always growing,
and Florida smells different than my home.

i live my life around Art because i will never ever get tan.
and because my Dad still wont bring my
gifts to work for false fears of them being stolen.
because i am a firefly.
because i have grown up around Love.
because “Friendship is thicker than blood.”

I will always be an artist
because I love what I do,
and mostly because I will never forget
that cold ice cream store, and the smell of
the back room there where I took my first art lessons.
The flower I painted was pink. My best friends were there.
I can still taste those small chunks of ice in the rainbow sherbet.
I can still taste how good it felt to create.