by taking up paper and pen
And tracing the lines out of coloring books
and checking back now and again
To see if I'd gotten the figures just right--
if they looked just the same in the end
As the pictures I saw in the coloring book,
just traced on my paper in pen.
But when I was alone, and I had time to spare,
And no one was watching, so I didn't care
If my rainbows and horses had just the right flair,
I would trace on my page something out of thin air!
When I pause to review all the pictures I've traced
from a book to my paper with pen,
They look mighty fine, but I know they aren't mine,
and I check back again, and again,
To see if I've left a small trace of myself--
it's there, but I find in the end,
The pictures look more like some coloring book
Just traced on my paper with pen.
Now when I'm alone, and I have time to spare,
If someone comes watching, I'll try not to care,
For my horses and rainbows will have their own flair
And a whole lot of me plucked out of thin air.
