UNFINISHED

My grandfather was an artist…through an artist eyes he’d see

when I was five he gave me a portrait…the portrait was of me!

There I was on the canvas…my eyes, my smile…my hair

everything about me…was in the picture…everywhere…

“Thank you! It’s beautiful Grandpa!” I said, “but tell me how can this be

you titled it ‘ONE…UNFINISHED’, but It looks all done to me.”

“Oh, this painting is quite finished,” Grandpa said, “as anyone can see

but you, the subject of the painting, you will never be….”

“So each year I will add a painting…

next year’s will be UNFINISHED…TWO

and when your birthday comes around…

I’ll present it, then, to you.”

“For if there’s one thing I can teach you

One thing I know to be true

it’s that I will never finish being me

and you will never finish being you…”

Grandpa knew what he was talking about…

and he kept his promise too

He gave me 25 UNFINISHED paintings 

before his time was through.

And whenever I look at my paintings today Grandpa

here’s something else I know is true….

you have never finished loving me

and I will never finish loving you…