Aquarelle

A delicacy of touch is needed
but how delicate?
a sureness, a lightness
transparency
but how transparent?

you don’t need your glasses, says the teacher
fuzzy is better
Turner was almost blind in the end

my watercolours today were disasters
rubbing too hard
even scratching the subtle surface
you can wash it all off
and start again, says the teacher
but the paper’s distressed
and the colours don’t flow any more

when we said goodbye the other day
feeling the softness of your lips
the smooth round of your shoulder
I didn’t want to leave

a question of technique, surely
but not only that
letting things flow
see what happens
develop a finer sense of touch
take risks
let all the colours soak into my soul
(2008)