De-ja Vu

07.30.2013

Logan Circle

I was rolling slowly along Broad Street in the search for parking when Aaron crossed my way. After painting tree portraits of him he looked strangely familiar. He wore his famous tee shirt on on skinny shoulders and deranged expression on handsome face. Another young man leaning towards him listened to his loud articulations. With haircut and fresh skin only his dirty sacks betraying the hobo.

I found parking. A woman in long coat sat on the curb across the street. I sat down next to her to glimpse a bony face under the hood. She lowered her head to scramble on her feet. “Please,” I said, “no need to move because of me.” I went on towards the library.

At the library lawn Old George balanced a paper plate full of food. He turned away from the world maintaining privacy.  With drinks and refreshments the picnicking crowd looked like a party except for the lack of excitement of social interaction.

A tall man leaned against a cast iron fence, his plate and bags sitting next to him on the concrete base. But even before I turned his way, he stepped into the garden. There, half hidden behind the blooming butterfly bush he released himself.

It started feeling like a rain. The man on the bench in the distance wore a shirt too white for a homeless. Why was he grinning? Ah, Alex! And here was Venus fetching another plate of food. “Here I am,“ I announced. We acted like good old friends. “Today is our last day here,” he said. “Tomorrow we move to apartment.” “Do you have section eight?” I asked. “No, only SSI” “Venus got one, too?” “Yes, between two of us we can rent.” He suddenly looked as if he had said too much. “But I've lived with her before,” he quickly added to improve impression. It rained more. “Venus, where we can hide from rain?" I asked, " I want to paint you again.” We went to sit under a tree. “Venus, I don’t like this idea!” Alex called after us. Venus got on her feet. I followed her. “What’s the matter?” I asked. “People pee under this tree. For some reason they always pee under the same tree.” “That’s why it looks healthier than others," I suggested. "We, too, chose this tree to sit under.” “Or maybe they choose this tree to pee under because it looks healthier,” he observed. 
It rained harder. I finished the portrait and left it with them to keep away  from rain, but when I pulled over in my car, the water was running from it mixed with fresh paint. I balanced it on the back sit and used it as a sketch for two more portraits I painted later in the Cave, my art studio.