ANNIE DIAMOND

Zelfportret

         Van Gogh Museum reminds me of Auden on Brueghel
         About suffering he was never wrong: Van Gogh I mean

He painted his own face so often		               I wonder
        what he was looking for         if he found it

His last words were    The sadness will last forever   spoken
in French to his brother Theo

            I can speak some French   read Latin and Hebrew
        a little   but English is all that helps me live the world

I have two Dutch cousins embarrassed at their English
In their home I am ungraceful   ashamed I have not tried

harder					                    I prize the heft
	      of museum brochure paper

visit the Anne Frank House where I feel
like I am getting the flu   think the whole

		               time I might fall down   weep at the photo
                                                 of Otto alone in the annex     1960

I have Indonesian food for the first time
					                                  start to like red wine.