Portraits

The hallway is dark

as he moves slowly,

expecting to stumble

but lights turn on

over portraits

portraits of his past,

his birth

childhood

his mother tending

his knee, scraped

tending his brothers,

portraits, his schools

and people he knew,

friends, teachers, cooks,

portraits, the light

shining above each

to illuminate each

singly, his life

or lives, his wedding,

children born,

portraits, career success /

failure, portraits.

His pace quickens

to reach the end

the final portrait

he sees the light

above it and as

he arrives

at the final portrait

the light goes dark.

Photograph by Maliz Ong via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.