Self-portrait
When you take a picture of yourself,
What do you see, James Van Der Zee?
Is it the fourteen-year-old who discovers
That just like a story, a photo uncovers
Something waiting to be told,
A secret ready to unfold?
From that early age, you learn to arrange
Shadow and light, like words on a page.
What is your story, James Van Der Zee?
What is the tale you’re trying to tell
When you take a picture of yourself?