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Born in Wakefield, Massachusetts, James Cerulle is a sophomore 2D Studio Art major and Creative Writing minor at Endicott College. Ever since a young age, drawing and writing have been some of his favorite hobbies. He hopes to pursue illustration and combine it with his love of writing in the future.

Paintbrush

James Cerulle

I do not understand you, paintbrush.
I do not understand your impulses
Which often defy mine.
I brush left, you brush right.
I implore you to be extra tight
Before you drop a blob of paint
And gleam at me proudly.
And I stare in disgust.

How often I give you a bath!
Rinse away your ailments
Cleanse you of paint
And permit you rest.
But you remain tainted.
All of your arduous labor
Stained on your bristles, as if to say
“Look what you’ve done to me.”

Must I be rueful?
When I request your assistance,
You always fight and claw in protest.
I could dip you in paint
Leave you there as it dries,
Forever suffocating your bristles.
I spare your life, paintbrush.
The least you could do is simplify mine.

—  James Cerulle

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