She placed the jars in rows

And tipped them over all at once

The colored contents spilled and splashed

Into the tray of water

But then, somehow, the colors stayed on the surface

Making a pattern, so breathtaking

I let out a gasp

She swirled the colors all together

Pretty reds, yellows, blues and purples

“How do you do it?!” I asked

“Find the right balance of color.” 

Now I depend on that

In art and life

Enough work so I make money for my family

Not too much, so I can spend time with them

My children are always told to depend on it too

And yet, the pester me about it

“Why do you follow this “balance”?” they ask

Because if you balance out your life

It will end up like the perfect swirl, made by Great-Grandma

swirl