What I've Learned from Rembrandt and More...

overcast January Ottawa mornings the new normal e-mail awaits my attention a poetry site now repeats its display of poems they presented the same month a few years ago this morning's featured one about poverty and the charity shop by a prairie poet I was stung once again, by its honesty the bluntness nosed into my image of virtuous giving to my favorite drop-off site Rembrandt's bankruptcy signaled his falling star but in one of his self-portraits he's wearing a golden robe a rich man's hat and not just looking at me he's in my face telling me what is true about himself he's a senior citizen and well known but replaced by those who desire elegance over truth, urbanity over sincerity the man in the charity shop looks me in the eye as if to say who do you think you're kidding- you with your hearing aids walker and rheumy eyes he continues the truth about much of what is given is never taken therefore recycled or sent to other places often decomposed completely to rags or pulp I then realize that I cannot face the ultimate death of eventually becoming forgotten.