an exhibibition

i know the subjects every one are dead
so is the painter and i was not yet born
to know how they saw evening and dawn
i take the image as more than just read
still life from these faces has not yet fled
we look and know that we could never scorn
their power and beauty has not been shorn
from what we see and that is all i've said
to make things clear we need much better laws
to let us know the worth of those who show
us how best to understand what is seen
by those of us who cannot bear to pause
to see just what we could attempt to know
the painting unlike memory stays green