A Blank Canvas

by Tracy Hutchings
  
in the beginning
there was a stark white canvas nah
and it was real lame
lame no ass






an nuttin was on the face of it.
nutten i tell you! not a damn ting.

and then the writer, the thinker and the great designer
take dey over farse self an say
"watch nah - this tablet. this canvas need something!"
and they did create
they did draw up d ting
an write up d ting
and tings was good.

then the writer say
"ah feel this need some tragedy. yeah... is real pain an sufferin on d canv-ass!"
and he did bring out the sweet bitters an did plaster
the canvas till it was blood stained and raw.
an d great designer and the thinker watch it an say dat how...
tings was good.

an d thinker say
"tanks for d tragedies, we turn dem into art"
and she did compel the whole lot ah dem to come an draw pun the canvas

an they did come
d stars of heaven come wit dem farse self an
paint up d place
an did laid dey soul pon d canvas
an tings was good

then the great designer put a big ass snake on d canvas
an at first, d stars ah heaven say "wheeeeyyyyyy! dat snake real bess!"
but den dey figure d snake need someting and so they did add
an add
an add
an add

an others came,
bringing dey version ah art pon d canvas.

an d canvas bearers start to say
but wha d ass - yuh call dat art.
bun dat
take... that shit... out meh canvas
an dere was war pon the canvas!
scribble fight up wit scribble
art fight up wit art an tell art dat art was shit
an no body ask the canvas what the canvas want.

an lo
everybody say "she need a lil someting"
"she need a lil extrah"
an randomness start to pull up an
crap up on she
up on she canv-ass

an the writer did feel
"leh we start over. raise d consciousness ah d canvas raise d levels on d canvas"

but it was too late
depression did start to raid it
an man say dat how he shoulda never draw on it
an man start to vex up when other man start drawing up on d scribbles
not realisin'

dat d point ah d ting
was not to point ah ting!
not a fingah!
not a flickin fiery thumb
an make hum-drum noises

just paint!
jus draw!
jus write!
right?

write way all yuh pain
till you feel clean like a blank canvas
till yuh ass feel whole again