Writing by Albertine Clarke. Illustration by Antonia Popescu.
His grandfather made violins.
He says it taught him patience,
Craft: the dignity of handmade things.
He left one unfinished, when he died.
It sits beneath his paintings
The wood is curved and tight.
He likes to touch it and recall
The bungalow with beige carpets
And postcards from Vienna framed in the hall
The light is yellow with afternoon sun
He shows me the last violin,
Next to it, a pencil sketch he’s done.