evolution. imitation. a river.

charcoal reuben negron

Charcoal,
     dry rasp of stick against newsprint,
          a chorus of scratching in a studio smelling of fixative and dust,
suspended in the afternoon light,
I held the pose—
     weight shift, hip turned,
     frozen breath in a room of studying eyes.
capturing angles,
     measuring the geometry of my knee,
               negative space between arm & rib.
a sudden, violent bloom.
ignited by stillness
seen / unseen,
          object / subject
all at once.
wide plank floors,
worn smooth by decades of paint spills and pacing.
                         a perfect frame.
the betrayal of my body,
or perhaps its truest confession—
a heavy, slick warmth defying the statue,
                         falling,
                              a dark, wet star
                              marking the wood,

while they drew nothing but dry lines.