(Francis Boushay 1983)
Stared straight ahead in
Optometric pose,
Asked to, 'Pick
A wall spot,'
-Headshot examined,
-Inspiration pulled
-From the eyes
-Toward viewer;
'My preferred name is
Francis, "i, s," at
The end, not
"Frank," "Frances,"'
-Fancied having his
-Portrait painted by
-Me, asked for
-A 'good one;'
'I am "the love of
His life," he told me,
Over the
Telephone,'
-Conflicts telegraphed,
-Stripes regulated
-The strands of
-Tangled hair;
'Do you believe in
Love at first sight?' mint
Unwrapped from
Cellophane,
-Candy freshened breath
-Pushed across room, his
-Fingers scratched
-At collar;
Dollars flattened out
In pocket, 'Has this-
Love- happened
To you, too?'
-He'd have known the whole
-Story from the guys
-Who'd referred
-Him to me;
'It's a long distance
Relationship right
Now, his work's
On West Coast,'
-As was mine once, him-
-California- me-
-New York- now
-We're both here;
'Going to sort the
Details over time
To find what
Works out best,'
-Back and forth, with two
-Apartments, boys on
-The side, needs
-Understood;
'Lots of men hanging
On the walls. Are they
Personal
Friends of yours?'
-He smirked, as his eyes
-Pivoted from walls
-Back to me,
-His heels bounced;
'I'm curious how
This works, brushing wet
Paint against
A canvas,'
-Eyes riveted on
-Alex's, and Ken's,
-Larger than
-Life faces;
'Always comes down to
Size, doesn't it, and
I went with
A small one,'
-What size allowed, less
-Enlargement, than an
-Entering
-Into whole;
'You do this every
Day, painting, drawing,
Looking at
Boys' faces?'
-What look like one-offs
-Built over tries to
-Get it right,
-Find likeness;
'It seems like you have
Regulars stopping
By, and some
Coming once,'
-Beats staring into
-A mirror doing
-Self-portraits
-Of myself;
'Can I take a glance
At it while you are
Still painting,
On a break?'
-Strokes continued, it's
-Done, overplaying
-Risks losing
-All of it;
'It looks like me, but
Too serious? Stiff?
Although there's
Something else,'
-Representation,
-Which takes from within,
-Bringing it
-To surface;
'You have to keep your
Eyes on it to catch
What I think
I can see,
-Light tones focused eyes,
-Suggested features
-Contradict
-With motion.
4 February 2021
