I set out to draw determination
mixed with anger
in a man who is also vulnerable
as he seeks refuge…
…leaning on a cane
(made of a stick from my yard).
Walking behind him,
his wife gazes to the future
though she is laden with two burlap bags…
…compared to the one he drags relentlessly
towards sanctuary.

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I don’t know how these faces emerge.
They are not from live models or photos.
The charcoal moves until someone appears.
And then I refine the drawing with pastel.
This man holds up his child
(drawn before twine is added).
The baby’s tiny fingers made of clay
clutch the ropes.
 
This is the last of 3 panels where children
desperately grip at barriers.
But this baby is not alone:
His father protects him with one hand
while his other hand reaches
for sanctuary.

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Madonna and Child:
It’s a classical triangle pose,
echoing a distant Renaissance.
But this Madonna
in her shawl of burlap bags
is seeking refuge.

Behind her walk these guys —
I call them “three unwise men”…
… planning to defend themselves
against guns
with only their sticks.
She has only the thin silk
swaddling her baby
and her belief
in sanctuary.