New Poetry Contest: Artist - Tyler R. - 06/20/22

Contest: Winners

New Poetry Contest: Artist

Submitted by: Tyler R., age 13, Warren, NJ

The Mysterious Smile

The artist looks with fierce concentration
at the woman who will stun the nation,
because as a magnificent painter it is his duty
to encapsulate on a canvas her stunning beauty.

The woman in question is sitting in a chair,
waiting for a portrait while brushing her hair.
The painter outlines the face, the body, the arms,
trying to capture the woman’s inescapable charm.

When he finishes the outline, he asks her a question:
“What will be your most desired expression?
Happy, depressed, afraid, hostile?”
And the woman replies by making a mysterious smile.

The man is confused, but still decides to draw
the now-famous smile that leaves art fans in awe.
He pulls out his brushes and begins to paint,
emphasizing the woman, making the background faint.

When he is done with his painting, the woman leaves,
leaving the artist alone not knowing what to believe.
Now in the twenty-first century, this painting is known
from the far countryside to his birthplace near Rome.

This masterpiece is appreciated from great man to boy,
as a symbol of the Renaissance and a semblance of joy.
In his home the artist thought: Will my painting inspire?
Oh Da Vinci, if only you knew how much the Mona Lisa is admired.


back to New Poetry Contest: Artist Winners