william claxton

she read the eulogy of a man i never knew
only familiar to the large photograph of chet baker
in david's office.

she had me watch a slideshow
of his iconic images -
discussed his documentary style
portraiture
in producing images of chet
steve and peggy.

the documentary of jazz
refined his minimal presence
in capturing images
behind the scenes.
he was a wallflower
that told stories
of individuals
in their natural environments.

his relationship with peggy
mused him into a new direction
of fashion and hollywood,
sticking true to his own style -
he quietly infiltrated
and documented
what a love of a muse
can do for a man.

he had friends and lovers
that became the center
of his most memorable images.



i had to hold back tears listening
to the eulogy of a man i did not know
and would like to be remembered as, too.