James wears a dark tee shirt
and with a long-woven scarf
tied around his neck, he looks
like a Frenchman,  head shaved,
a heavy beard neatly sheared.
I imagine the harsh beginning
each day of a soaped scraped
face.  And though his skin
is festooned with tattoos,
he looks scrubbed clean
from the shower.  Mala beads
encircle his wrist and speak
of a deep well to draw from.
He would fit well in an Italian
Renaissance painting done
in dark heavy oils.  And
in the background rich warm colors
glow with light.