Autumn Painting

Poem from July 2026

I bought an oil painting today. 

And for the first time in my life it got to live on my wall as itself. 

It wasn’t a doorway for my longing to escape into, 

Babbling brook and golden-soaked reams of light 

I adore

But the autumn leaves of 

those oil paint trees

were 

just 

that.

An artist rendering of a

simple scene in nature’s 

Great Book.

And I stood at my bed and I

grinned 

And I looked above its head as a delighted

and mischievous 

wife

And I’m making a 

home for our

life together

And that feels good. 

Don’t coo at my decision to marry! 

Don’t tease at the fruit that I bear! 

I’m laughing 

I’m a woman with hope in 

her blooming fire in

her corset and her finest

wear

Flowing bravely in her soft loving style

And when I stroke my husband’s hair

And he burrows into mine

I have heroes blossoming inside of me

I have courage to have marriage

And I have tenderness wrapped in 

curries, sambols, kottu biryanis.

So hurry home little maiden.

Into my trestle archway heart.

Live on as the princess in the garden

While we turn the page and 

we start 

on the hope on the reign of the

village woman

And I’ll be your biggest believer.

I will hold the flower petal in my keep and

you’ll find a museum of 

oil paintings in our halls!

Whenever it’s your turn to 

show up 

freer

and blissfully 

rested as 

you 

can 

be,

I’ll cook for you so 

you can 

breathe deeper

And he’ll feed you 

hand by 

hand,

sweetheart

And he’ll scoop gravies spicy on his finger

And you’ll taste tenderness and love in this man

And you’ll fall in love with this soulmate

Who will guard your heart, 

your body, 

your breast 

‍ ‍

so you can feed her.

so you can hold her. 

so your chest gets lighter yet.

So you can treasure your dream 

but burrow into possibility

So you break the fever of chronic seekers

And may the veil on your head

and modest flows of your clothes that shield you and birth your treasure

Remind you 

You are loved

Beyond measure

So that when a pregnant cat

or an ailing cousin

or the trees turning green or vibrant orange

or a beautiful 

oil painting of whatever 

you’re thinking

reminds this heart

she was as wild

          as her dream,

          girl?

Don’t scream

Tend to her 

Nurture her

Glow balmy and

    brightly from 

‍ ‍within

Precious little time is there 

for flowers to bloom and fall

But fruit grows quietly and steadily.

And when you come home
beneath your autumn painting...

What sheds gloom like no other? 

I hope you can sleep like the queen that you are

Under hundreds of artworks you’ll collect 

and you’ll start

To be the hero of the tender heart

To be the refuge for oracles to land

To hold wanderers with the love you once needed

Taken joyfully by the hand