I am an impassioned observer
rummaging for nuances

Endeavoring to see
with an open heart
and unclouded eyes
as children do

I render semi-true stories
with watercolor
ink and
colored pencil

I mold poems
from piles of words
and images

17 I fathered a child
18 the death of a friend

I wrote poetry to cope

I obtained a BFA in graphic design
worked a myriad of jobs
few having to do with my degree

31 my dream job was ripped away
between diaper changes
I wrote essays
of my new reality

my only career has been
as a stay-at-home-dad

Sometimes it seems I’ve not made it
to where I wanted to go

Then again

Perhaps I have