Nude Poem N07

There are more people
Who have drawn me nude –
Than people I have drawn nude

04.15.16

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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.

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Notes to this poem…

The statement in the poem was true for about a week until I drew another person at a life drawing session. Now it’s equal. Ultimately, though, I hope the haiku will be true as I have applied to be a nude model at the local art school here, the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design (NSCAD). It’ll only become true if I get calls for work, and they like me enough to want me back, of course.

In the meanwhile, what’s expressed in the haiku currently qualifies as the shock of my life in 2016. It’s a good shock, but completely unforeseen, never mind to the extent stated. Drawing was due to a surprise opportunity I could not pass up with free 1 on 1 drawing instruction for weeks, now months, on end. Then being at retreats where the artists took turn posing to save money and accommodation space, I wasn’t going to be the odd one out, especially not in being the newbie. I felt a bit perverted if I didn’t, to be honest. However, that pressure was not why I did pose. I posed because the opportunity was there without seeming like I was bragging or showing off. Certainly, I had nothing to be ashamed of given the fine and fit state of my body, and I did well to hold dynamic poses for long periods of time. But then came other opportunities to pose, and with the seemingly small supply of models available for the few life drawing sessions locally where then I drew quite a few people a multiple number of times, I ended up having drawn fewer people nude than people who have drawn me nude.

Finally, as a bonus, for someone who’s had his body considered to be a weakness by most others most of his life, especially women who thought it unattractive, this was the ultimate throwback to dispel that once and for all. The marathons ran, Boston marathon qualifier, rare races won and such, dispelled a lot of that for what it could do. But many women still did not think it attractive as they needed a body bigger to feel an attraction towards, or speculated I had a tiny penis and all that shit. Well, many of them aren’t with men who’d be proud to be posing nude given their physique, or others would like to see pose nude, let’s put it that way. Here’s a shout out to them. 😉

The N-series poems were composed while I posed nude for life drawing, being very still with excess mental capacity I must force myself to occupy with appropriate thoughts so nothing awkward would happen. 🙂

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