In Memoriam, A Portrait Of Vladimir Ilyitch Lenin Poem by Alexandre Nodopaka

I acquired the painting at a major discount
From a co-op antique dealer who had to close shop
On account of the present economic debacle.
I did some extensively deep research into old archives
Of portraits of Vladimir Ilyitch but could not find
Anywhere anything with a white goatee and moustache.

I thought I knew my Russian history but after browsing
Through a multitude of portrayals of the famous revolutionist
I felt I could draw the man myself and blindfolded to boot.
In the lower right corner the painting bears two generously
Fat initials R.G. and the back of the gessoed panel has
some illegible pencil scribbles

With the exception of a glued tag identifying the framer
Or framing shop as being from Frankfurt (Main) .
Now, anybody could've bought a frame there and installed
The painting but the masterly stroked oil was thumb tacked
By a peculiarly dated style whose head was perforated
With two diametrically opposite very small holes.

And since the painting was not dated it sent me
On a flurry of research trying to time it in that manner.
Now don't ask me but I know everything there's to know
About a push pin and who invented which and when.
But at that point I still had no clue as to who the painter
Or the poser were. In frustration I researched the owner

Who either by himself or by another identified himself
On the back of the work of art with a fancy typed label
As Eigentumer: architekt Stefan-Blattner.
And when I clicked through search engines my mouth
Opened in awe at his reputation. So now I had some
Documentation as to its provenance though didn't relish

The architect being associated to Joseph Goebels but then
I remembered the Germans identified all their belongings
Especially when they stole paintings from their owners
While martyring their prisoners by disposing of their gold
Dental contraptions yet scrupulously documenting their
Deeds by appropriating their hair or gold dentures.

Well, in my case I only want to document my purchase
Gotten for a song and a dance even if it was of dubious
Provenance but in the end I'm now convinced it's not the
Portrait of the commie in his older age but could be the
Architect himself unless it is his father or another guru of
The same Bauhaus school because further down the article

I couldn't help noticing references to Le Corbusier,
G. Candilis, G. Godefroy and A. Nodopaka who
By no accident was my father and who for sure was born
Under and knew of Lenin at least by sight. And to console
myself I feel that during hard times in Winter I could use
the painting as kindling to warm my freezing imagination.

And I don't want to forget that during the driving time
Back home there was a revolting odor in the car of old cigarette
Smoke to the extent my wife accused me of sneaking a smoke
After a 3and a half-year sabbatical. Well, having some loose
Knowledge of artwork restoration I was happy to rub some fresh
Garlic cloves over the surface and the back of the painting

But the waft reminded me too much of a cheap pizza parlor
So I went over it with a half-cut fresh onion then went over again
With an orange at which time I feared that ants might eat
My painting so I rubbed it with a fresh lime whose rind I used
in my Vodka Tequila Sunrise by toasting Trotsky's hammer
and sickle assassination and Lenin's mummification.