I’ve seen the silhouette of a man wearing a hat, while standing in somebody’s yardAn obvious form to recognize, even at a glance was not very hardBut with just two dimensions, colored all black, there are limits to what can be learnedA facial profile, his height and build, is about all that can be discerned Now if shades of gray are used to fill in this unadorned shapeSurely some of the imagined stereotype will quickly make its escapeThe shape of an eye and the line of a smile may establish state of mindShadows may expose folds in his clothes, adding to what is defined Adding color leaves even less to imagine, as more information flowsHues of skin may determine ethnicity, possibly fashion sense from his clothesMore detail causes a much deeper look into the representationTo perceive what the artist had in mind by absorbing all its information All three of these art forms are useful tools for what an artist projectsSilhouettes, so basic, while gray scale’s message is a little more complexWith color, definition is multiplied to almost an infinite scaleThrough which a master’s touch can portray a grand and epic tale Now a poet’s palette contains no paint, instead the spoken wordVocabulary determines the level of intricacy contained in the story that’s heardA wordsmith’s works, like paintings, represents what’s in the artists’ minds eyesOften using truth to undermine deceit by exposing covert lies Now sometimes words come in shades of gray and sometimes silhouetteThat conveys the simpler truths for a foundation to be setUpon which those whose gifts come in color, can use them to artfully buildA structure of images from inspirations that thankfully cannot be stilled I recently went to an open mic to read one Sunday nightAnd heard the most amazing poetry in hues and colors so brightNot what I am accustomed to, such a wonderful treatIt was as if I’d found a second home and surely just as sweet An introduction to brothers and sisters that shared my love of wordsSo awed by the expertise and elegance in the poetry that I heardDelivered in cadence and rhythms, often bordering on songsSometimes citing what’s right and other times indicting what’s wrong Those people brought the realization that we make up a special clanYet only a portion of a much larger family, the sons and daughters of manWith a multitude of varied gifts, that give true relevance to each one’s storyIn truth it’s through this sacred diversity that together we reveal God’s glory                                                                                                      Alan E. Sexton