I wonder what he’s seen that I will never gaze upon

Across the rolling fields to mountain tops beyond

In his mind’s eye, the colours bright and swirling

The shapes, the shades, the black, the white

Is it ever just that simple when he stares into the night

Through naked eye or camera lens, he views a different world

Where angles tilt beyond their scope and imagination hurls

Itself to a farther range than I could ever reach, though trust me I have tried

To look beyond my earthly state and see the world sublime

As in his paintings large and bold where horses stand astride

The most amazing places – have you seen the fish – the wink

Is he sharing only glimpses – lifting curtains one by one

Will he ever open wide the gates and let us all inside

To vistas bathed in hue and tint and reality denied.

Written on the occasion of Charles DeLost’s birthday celebration – March 2015
Susan McElroy