I want to paint…

I want to paint the distance from now to then,

the small and big footprints being washed away by the sea; a young child and her mother walking in the distance

a crimson strawberry nestled comfortably in a clear, glass bowl, bursting with electric flavour,

the beautiful streak of gold left behind by a shimmering, single, shooting star,

a rope of twisted knots, an old rope swing, deserted by many and solmemnly waiting for more to come and play.

I want to paint the distorted reflection of my face in a puddle, raindrops escaping from the grasp of my umbrella and drip, drip, dripping on to my watery skin,

ducklings, waddling after their mother as if she were the Pied Piper; their fluffy feathers keeping them cosy,

a hyper-lapse of a tulip, the gorgeous few petals opening in fast-forward over the days of spring, as if controlled by remote-control,

the vastness of the Milky Way, stretching on and on and on, breath-takingly beautiful and full of blinking stars,

the dappled sunlight through the canopy of trees, winking and roasting the poor soil underneath to a crisp.

I want to paint the curtain of night stealthily creeping in through the windows, casting gnarled shadows on the picture-filled walls.

a new-born calf, wobbling as it takes its first few shaky steps, its mum’s rough tongue nursing it to health,

an elegant butterfly, flitting from pansy to poppy like an energetic ballerina.

I want to paint the mesmerising memory of the dancing fire, as it curls up the stone chimney, reflecting in my eyes as I snuggle into the warmth of my parents’ hug, snow falling softly outside.

I want to paint the distance from now to then…..

By Luli Curtis