The Gate*

Original Painting by Nipper Sorensen. Acrylic on Canvas. Measures 18” x 36” x 1” (45.72cm x 91.44cm x 2.54cm). The painting is based on a poem I wrote about the entrance to my then boyfriend's garden, called "The Gate". The gate was part of a wooden fence so it was hard to see if you didn't know it was there. The Gate It is not just a gate It looks like part of the tall fence Barely noticeable as you walk by But impossible to forget once you know it's there More so once you have felt it Put your hand on its surface To push it open Uneven wooden corduroy on your fingertips Rough with splintering potential and yet soft, gentle and smooth Sanded by nature through the years Each ridge so easy to feel Impossible to forget For your fingertips Once they have felt it The weight it takes to push it open Open to reveal the sweetest smell Tropical plants unlikely in this cold paradise Impossible to forget once You have sensed the fragrance Unique, familiar, safe, comforting Home Once fully open