Studio Vitiligo
inspired in name by the patchwork materials with which it was built
a barren space of decades-worn wood
faded beige
finish stripped in blotches from innumerable artists spending innumerable time dedicated to their craft
now ready to close
Curled up
is the last artist to know the timeline
touched by light through cloudy pane
reflecting off bone white walls
Her skin is fading as well through a disease of the same name
holding herself in a child’s pose
packing it in
as an era comes to an end
she embraces knowing so
is to fill the next chapter with patchwork of her own
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For more of Grant Hope, you can find books, audio visual poetry, and his “Poetry Respite” newsletter at his website: granthopestudios.com
> Grant, I love the parallel between the fading studio and the artist's changing skin. The imagery is haunting yet hopeful, and the ending beautifully transforms imperfection into renewal. Well written.
This poem carries a quiet sadness, but also a sense of acceptance that feels very human. The studio itself almost feels alive, like it has absorbed the history of every artist who passed through it. I especially appreciated how the ending turns closure into something hopeful, suggesting that endings can also become beginnings.