this picture the family kept
but light no longer shines
in eyes cataracts had dulled
no captivating smile
not in virile pose
or grandiose setting
no finery in the clothes
a few strands of hair
swept back across a weathered crown
with timelines etched deep into face and brow
steel rim round glasses
sit comfortably on the nose
a well-worn cream cotton coat
heavy upon age-rounded shoulders
with life’s flood tide now turned to ebb
why did he paint himself so?
this is a lifetime’s craft perfected
in a farewell piece
a momento mori
for the living room
remember children
young and old
life’s not done
until the sputtering candle
is blown out
by that last breath
when the paint
ought still be wet
~
n.b. NaPoWriMo 2025… still here, still at it. Portrait is by the artist Anton Fagerberg, (1871-1965) a great uncle from my mother’s side.
CLP 31/03/2025
Journey of Words 
2 responses
Well writ Poet, love the last lines.
Thank you. I have looked at the portrait in question for decades and was wondering why an artist (a distant great uncle (possibly great-great uncle) would do a self-portrait as an elderly man. I’ll be adding it to the post when I get a photo in a couple of days!