Photograph by Bill EppridgeA Picture Taken at a Hotel
In an old issue smelling of mildew
is a picture of the hotel Ambassador
a man stretched out like great Orion
listless, in the night’s sky, a black cocoon
his torso emerges from the shadowed firmament
coat jacket still buttoned, right arm as if reaching
fingers as if intending to grasp, the unflinching light
spills upon the scene, touching his hair, his open eyes,
his nose, the left cheek, it gives itself
to the pageant, to the witnesses, to the observer
a boy crouching, the light touches him too
burdens his shoulders like white wings
outlines his halo kissed head, he cradles
the man whose dead gaze strikes the side
of Juan Romero’s face, the boy looks away
with the light, with, not against the current
of its illumination, looks to where the light
is fleeing, to me
