Canvas of My Life



Canvas of My Life
Upon this canvas, my life unfolds
Brushstrokes of vibrant tales
both young and old
Bold hues weave a narrative of grit and strife
Short, golden lines
markers of hair and height.

Crimson strokes ascend
my heart takes flight
A metaphorical nail relentlessly pounded
Symbolic of a soul, perpetually confounded
Soft white swirls whisper through the pine trees
Echoes of contempt in the gentle breeze.

Amidst the disrespect, my deeds are sown
In the landscape, flowers of resilience grown
Camouflaged courage, a survival guide
Facing winter’s icy chill with nowhere to hide
A black hole lingers, achievements unknown
Time wasted in pursuit of a recognition zone.

Mountains climbed, their peaks snow-covered
A grand scale painting, seemingly indestructible
Streams flow pure and clean, beautifully preserved
Leading to the ocean, dreams are observed
A funnel cloud crosses the plain of golden brown
A drought year-round wears a thorny crown.

Eyes gaze purposefully, preparing for the worst
Inevitable hunger and despair, a relentless thirst
A peace sign, a sun burning bright
A beacon of hope in the canvas’s plight
A ghost, faint, invisible to most
Bruised and bloodied, yet resilient, she boasts.

Trampled upon, overlooked by the crowd
Her strength looms large yet remains unavowed
Short and blonde, a unique hue
A canvas painted in colors of black, red, green and blue
Dark clouds hover, shrouding pain and pride
Within the image, emotions held inside.

Proud yet pained, this painting is a mere reflection
A vivid portrayal, an artistic projection.
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Written on November 16, 2023

Submitted by dburriskitchen on November 18, 2023

1:19 min read
45

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXXBAXC XCDDEE FFGGFF XXHHII JJCCXX XBKKGG LL
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,575
Words 264
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 7, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2

Deborah Burris-Kitchen

Deborah J. Burris-Kitchen, Ph.D., is a Professor of Criminology and Department Chair at Tennessee State University in Nashville. She is the author of Female Gang Participation (Edwin Mellen Press, 1997). In addition, she co-authored an article on racism in higher education in the College Student Journal (2000). Her publications include a book titled Short Rage: an autobiographical look at Heightism in America (2002). She has a book chapter (July 2010) titled Pathways to Prison: Implications for the Health and Mental Health in the African American Community in Handbook for African American Health Psychology: Evidence-based Treatment and prevention practices (edited by Robert Hampton & Ray Crowell); From Slavery to Prisons: A Historical Delineation of the Criminalization of African Americans (2010); a journal article titled Short Rage Revisited (2018); and Deviance and Control, Kendall and Hunt (2020) and a second edition of Deviance and Control was released by Kendall and Hunt in 2021. Dr. Burris-Kitchen has served as the research committee chair and Vice President of the National Organization of Short-Statured Adults (NOSSA). She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi. She has served as President of the Association of Humanist Sociology (AHS) and was a member of AHS for many years. She has also been a member of the American Society of Criminology and the American Sociological Association. Dr. Burris –Kitchen is an activist who fights against violence, racism, exploitation, greed, and capitalism. more…

All Deborah Burris-Kitchen poems | Deborah Burris-Kitchen Books

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