READING BAUDELAIRE

Sandra Fisher, the wife
of R.B. Kitaj,
unwrapped her painting
"Reading Baudelaire"
in an expansive portrait
reflecting the poet's character
to share with us in 1983
reflecting the French poet's
congested character sitting
he is sitting alone
on a writer's bench chair
in Fisher's exciting  canvas
as if telling us to back up
his fatal yet angry shyness
from a secretive solitary story
of an eccentric personality
appearing out in Paris
only in the late evening
shrouded by chance's destiny
embarrassed by agents of fate
of searching for romance's love
in many unrecognized quarters
weaving his psychic maddening
strife of masking his wounds
bandaged only by language
asking God to deliver him
from his past lonely suffering
and the futility of many affairs
with only words as his evidence
yet realizing it will only be above
in the third heaven
where Baudelaire would swoon
for a life long sentence
to be remembered only by
those who are also eat the leaven
in repentance.