Pretty Colors

a poem about paintings, by Ted Harrison

I remember being a little girl
And first seeing the painting
And all I thought was "pretty colors"
Then I entered grade school,
looking at the picture again
My thoughts were "cute puppies"
And "funny looking people with no faces"
As I grew older, I learned
Ted Harrison was a painter.
There was someone behind
These beautiful pictures.
I started to appreciate them more
To see all of what they held
The snow, the sky, the buildings,
The huskies and the people
Now as I near adulthood
I look upon the picture once more
And all I notice
Is how he managed to take in
More colors than I knew existed
To made this painting
And all I think is
"Pretty colors"