My name is Melanie Delgado
I am an abstract oil painter
I live in Glenford NY
Before I painted I drove an ice cream truck
I swept floors
I made slime with glue and liquid starch
I read to groups of children sitting in an irregular circle
We sang songs about the sun and made up holidays
I spent many hours in the principals office
Sometimes they sent me home
I drank and drank and drank
Until I stopped drinking
Now I paint
In my basement
I can hear my daughter playing upstairs
I can hear my husband playing guitar
These days I have coffee dates with masked friends
We meet on zoom
We laugh and we cry
Today I paint as often as I can
My mood tells me what moves to make
The furnace kicks up
The maple syrup candle burns
I wonder what time it is
I flip the canvas to get a new view
