Obama’s Portrait – Poem by Katie DeBonville

A moment at the museum where art, memory, and history converge.

In Obama’s Portrait by Katie DeBonville, a museum line becomes a reflection on identity, art, and legacy as visitors capture what Kehinde Wiley immortalized on canvas.

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I wait in line to see Obama’s portrait,
surrounded as it is by museum-goers of all ages,
all nationalities,
all races,
all with their iPhones raised in the air,
capturing digitally what Kehinde Wiley captured on canvas –
the length of his fingers,
the focus of his gaze,
set against the improbable backdrop of green leaves
interspersed with color and life,
just like the man himself,
his skin black but not just black,
flecked with flashes of yellow,
hints of red.
At the front of the line,
my view is unobstructed
and I take it all in,
simultaneously imposing and reassuring,
a portrait of the man as an artist –
and he is an artist,
one who crafted a work
eight years in the making,
a masterpiece of
intelligence and integrity,
empathy and erudition,
humor and honesty,
and color.
I don’t need a photo to remember this.

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✍️ About the Authors

Katie DeBonville is a writer and arts fundraiser from Boston, MA. Her work has appeared in Stonecoast Review, Sad Girl Diaries, Quibblelit, and Fauxmoir, amongst other publications. Katie enjoys writing about being a single woman living in Boston, music, and relationships.

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