HIS ART

It strains a man
  to the breadth of his Art
To capture the feelings
  of a true woman's heart

The depth comes from risking
  his mind and his wealth
From gnarling his body
  and destroying his health

For the sake of his Art
  a man's life(pride) is diminished
Lest he spend on himself
  and the work rest unfinished

It esteems a man
  by his Art to be broken
Such is the claim
  all great artists have spoken

By their work, not their lives,
  they are remembered today
And for Art to be life
  it must be this way

---jrw
7-12-96