Smudge Painting
An oil pastel glides softly
leaving charcoal grey smears across papers
and something of its churning gloom
reminds me of
the twirling smoke of a smudge stick
drifting through the air and fading
away from the sparkling orange embers
and I blend
my blots of ash with fingers
long since stained brown from multicolored oils
remembering grandmother with her russet skin
arms flowing
sinuous smoke trailing after like a salmon through a stream of whirling silver
prayers falling from her lips
warbling joyfully and strong
eddying with smoky wisps gracefully
Melanie Norman is in the process of earning her BA in English with a minor in anthropology from SUNY Brockport. She’s in the process of publishing her first novel, and was also the recipient of the Mary Louise White Award from the University of SUNY Fredonia in early 2019 for both poetry and short fiction.