Sketching darkened streets
the starving artist, a pauper
of Saint Petersburg
 
Copious skill
prolific in production, 
desires untamed
 
Prosper by pleasing
those who feed on creative
corpses, sacrifice 
 
Purchase approval
by selling the self to trends
of fame so fickle
 
A risk of all time
temptation of creators,
moral dilemma
 
Who paints the portrait
the audience or artist,
who controls the brush
 
Who gives the meaning
to colors and shapes in life,
who paints your portrait 

Inspired by the short story 
(The Portrait) from Nikolai Gogol 
Self Portrait in Two Exposures, Taken with FujiFilm XPro2