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M.E. Grow of Morristown was First Place Winner

of the Joe E. Wiel Award, 1998,

Skylands Writers & Artists Association, Inc. Annual Poetry Contest

for her poem "Girl in a Yellow Dress"

GIRL IN A YELLOW DRESS

In this miniature portrait, water color on ivory

the child's dress, starched yellow cotton

hand-made by a seamstress called to the house

pleats over her knees

masking her slightly sideways posture.

Her hair's been in paper curlers overnight.

Hands are important.

"Give the hands prominence

they belong to a future famous pianist."

Her good leg faces the viewer.

Her left side appears snipped away

showing a section of striped yellow wallpaper behind.

Though you can't make it out

her hair ribbon is more silk.

There was some trouble matching it

to the yellow in the dress.

To keep her quiet somone read.

She's nine; dozens of books

have been read at her sick bed.

They leave the house early.

Managing three flights of stairs up to the studio

requires many rests. A glass of water before it begins.

That straight chair, as you may imagine

is hard and the hand at its edge

was often sweaty from hanging on.

"Relax the hand, open your hand.

Don't do that with the hand!"

That left hand was a problem.

The painter made a mistake.

"You're making her look like a cripple!"

It couldn't be helped.

"The important thing is

to catch her baby look before she loses it."

"But can't you do something about that other hand?"

They say the left hand is the dreamer.

Nothing came of piano lessons.

For hours and hours the tiniest brushes

did surfaces: yellow dress, golden hair,

striped wall behind,

and the terrible chair.

Copyright © 1998 by M.E. Grow. All rights reserved.]

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