Mosaic

Many years ago, in camp,
A project quite prosaic
Was manipulating tiles
To make artwork in mosaic.

We lined up all the little squares
In patterns and designs,
With creative juices flowing
As we stepped outside the lines.

With every tile I glued in place,
My confidence increased;
The fact I’d made an ashtray
Was he part that mattered least.

A subway wall mosaic
Set my memory abuzz,
Remembering how calculated
Each tile placement was.

It takes a lot of patience
To make magic using tiles,
Thus mosaic seems to me to be
The cleverest of styles.