You taught me to paint

You made me want to eat it

Mixing the colors

I think of you

The red into purple

The purple into blue

And when I’m sad

I keep painting through it

And can barely see 

But it doesn’t matter

I’ve got the power

You always believed I was capable of so much

And you always saw me as a star

I wonder how you’re doing

Since we both live in the city

I wonder if you’re still making those butter cakes

Oh god I could eat slice right now

My mouth is watering thinking of just a sliver lining the molars in the back of my mouth giving me a treat for later when I stick my tongue around

And I can hear your laugh as if you were reading this now

Rena I miss you

You always wanted to be called by your first name

I want you to see how much I’ve changed

And I want to see the man you’re so in love with

And the way you light up when his name is brought up

And I want to watch you sit at the wheel of a spinning mound of clay

And bring about a tall mass

Of perfect circle lovely

I miss watching your hands move

Around the gray 

Catching and pulling

Tearing away

I still have the ceramic you gave me

It’s sitting on a shelf in my room now

A pear that you had glazed

Oh Rena

You were a mentor more than a teacher

You gave me hope and made me proud

Someday I’ll send a painting to you

And you can look at it and swell

I know you taught me

But I hope I taught you as well