Be Careful If
Be very careful if you find
That creatures you draw, once you’ve put down
Your crayon, pencil or pen, become
Real, living beings—the breathing kind:
Lions, let’s say, all tawny brown,
Suddenly there, on the attack,
Hungry, life size, roaring, just some
Inches from where you’re sitting. Run!
Or instead, try yellow Labs. Draw one,
Whose chestnut eyes outlined in black
See only you—who’ll love you back.
That creatures you draw, once you’ve put down
Your crayon, pencil or pen, become
Real, living beings—the breathing kind:
Lions, let’s say, all tawny brown,
Suddenly there, on the attack,
Hungry, life size, roaring, just some
Inches from where you’re sitting. Run!
Or instead, try yellow Labs. Draw one,
Whose chestnut eyes outlined in black
See only you—who’ll love you back.
This poem is copyright (©) Charles Hughes 2025
About the Writer
Charles Hughes
Charles has published two books of poems for adults, The Evening Sky (2020) and Cave Art (2014), both from Wiseblood Books. He used to work as a lawyer but now works at writing poems.
