It could be the red beret
Sensible wool but pretty bright
It complements my Stewart tartan scarf
Guys driving mud-encrusted pick-ups
Do the classic double-take
It could be because I’m the only adult
Walking, not driving this wide main street
Or maybe it’s just obvious
A stranger in a village of five hundred souls
The friendly woman in the grocery store
Asks me outright: Are you the new Stegner lady?
I allow that I am
She beams at me and asks me what I’m working on
I reel off book review short story maybe finish a novel
She’s not artistic she says
When I ask if she’s a member of the Arts Council
But her co-worker defends her
Reminds her she decorated the whole store for Christmas
We all smile and the young man behind the till says
He used to eat crayons so they called him artistic too
We all laugh and I head out with my groceries
Ponder how lifting the spirits with colours with words
Spreads joy however we do it
With the tools we have at our disposal
Or spend a lifetime refining
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