Dance of the Palette Knife, by Anne Swannell

Composition, by Jean Paul Riopelle (Canada). 1950.

Dance of the Palette Knife

Quickly, quickly
the hand flies
the canvas bounces, receives

what the blade delivers
jabbing, jabbing, jabbing
leaving behind each time
its load of colour.

the blade scrapes
and removes
and replaces

scratches and scribbles
replaces and scrapes

layering red
over blue over yellow
over white over black--

a  synaptic map
of synaptic gaps  
and snap-to-it
connections.

Anne Swannell

Anne Swannell’s work has appeared in anthologies from Leaf Press, Kind of a Hurricane Press, Chuffed Buff Books, OWF Press, Polar Expressions. Poems have appeared  in The Malahat Review,  Grain, Event, CV2, Prairie Fire, Dandelion, Antigonish Review,  and many other literary journals. She has published  three books of poetry.