This is the Last Picture that Van Gogh Painted Before He Killed Himself, by Christian Reifsteck

Wheatfield with Crows, by Vincent Van Gogh (Netherlands). 1890.

This is the Last Picture that Van Gogh Painted Before He Killed Himself
 
In the desolate wheatfields, 
the sorry crows turn their black backs to our gaze 
as they fly off into the corner.  
Smaller and smaller they grow 
while our eyes strain to see the point.

What if I showed you this without words?  
What if the crows and fields were all you knew 
and the harsh and jumbled strokes 
spoke for themselves?

What if we did not know anything of death or sight or canvas?  
What if we looked into everything and saw only ourselves--
like van Gogh saw himself as a tiny, fading bird?

Christian Reifsteck

Christian Reifsteck's work has appeared in numerous journals, including The Copperfield Review, Written River, and The Wayfarer. His first book of poetry and photography, Turning Turf, was published by Shanti Arts Press in 2016. View more of his work at www.illuminatedmanuscript.wordpress.com.