"Take the pencil in hand,"
the first sentence told me, "and draw a line."
I took the pencil in hand.
I drew a line. "Draw a circle."
I drew a circle. "Draw a square."
I drew a square.
"Have you completed all these commands correctly?"
the page asked, and it offered a picture of each thing,
just in case I needed a reminder of
what they were supposed to look like.
I studied my line. I studied my circle.
I studied my square.
All appeared to me to be as good as what
I saw printed next to directions,
though maybe not as sharp and bold and exact --
but I hadn't used a ruler or a compass or anything,
so what would you expect?
"Are they just as they appear in the illustrations?"
I checked again. I had done what I was supposed to.
"Then we wish you sincere congratulations!"the words told me.
"Now you are an artist."
Suzanne Strempek Shea
