This is how it starts
in art
the colours apart
red
blue
and yellow
until by chance
a meeting
across the paper
behold green
grass
leaves
a forest
of trees
with purple fruit
perhaps plums
beside a river
you drew
between brown banks
who knew
and now you know what
to do
with that
paint brush
dabble, mix, test, explore
because this is how art starts
the colours apart
red
blue
and yellow
until by chance
a meeting
across the paper
behold green
grass
leaves
a forest
of trees
with purple fruit
perhaps plums
beside a river
you drew
between brown banks
who knew
and now you know what
to do
with that
paint brush
dabble, mix, test, explore
because this is how art starts
This poem is copyright (©) Melinda Szymanik 2026
About the Writer
Melinda Szymanik
Melinda is an award-winning New Zealand author of picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults. Notable titles include The Were-Nana (Scholastic, 2008) winner of Children’s Choice at the 2009 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards, A Winter’s Day in 1939 (Scholastic, 2013) winner of Librarian’s Choice at the 2014 LIANZA Awards, and Fuzzy Doodle (Scholastic, 2016) a 2017 White Raven selection. She also writes poetry for adults and children, and regularly teaches creative writing.
