I paint portraits
of cinderblock walls.
Plain and raw,
heavily shadowed
or with objects floating
in front.
Rhythmically patterned
blocks of cement,
textured with pits
and cracks
and ill-applied mortar,
are painted in acrylic
on silk.
Walls without makeup,
naked and gray.
Walls with a sense of
humor.
Walls of sadness.
Each has a personality;
Each tells a story.
An artist,
jars of paint,
bolts of silk,
and cinderblock walls.
The marriage of
disparate souls.