On the enduring surface of linen, a narrative begins to unfold,
A foundation of resilience, where stories of the soul are told.
The fibers, woven with history, embody both strength and grace,
Holding the weight of dreams and shadows in their embrace.

In the ethereal strokes of charcoal, a clown sketches longing,
Contours of desire emerge, where shadows find belonging.
Each line breathes the essence of relinquished fears,
Aromatic remnants of past selves, dissolving through the years.

With meticulous care, the silver point glimmers across the surface,
Illuminating the fantasies we chase, those fleeting muses that displace.
Not mere icons of allure, but narratives that tower above,
Keeping us busy juggling, distracted from what we truly love.

Her gaze, a knowing smirk, mirrors the clown's plight,
As he juggles facades, cloaked in the absurdity of light.
The balloons, grotesque in their cartoonish cheer,
Float like ephemeral dreams, masking the weight of his fear.

The gouache, crafted from chalk, washes over the work,
An invitation to the viewer: each moment is a stroke, a quirk.
In every highlight, a reminder of power to reshape what is true,
To write the present with intention, crafting a future anew.

In this tableau, humor and insight beautifully entwine,
Offering a mirror to our lives, revealing truths that shine.
It beckons us to unearth the treasures that lie deep inside,
In life’s grand theatre, where our truest selves abide.

O. Kaya Dayan