Saturday, April 12, 2025

April 12: Family Portrait

 

It is 2021. They are 15, 14, 12, and 9.

We stand in front of a historical house, 

shingled and rain gray, all of us in shades

of black and white, more ourselves than not. 


The brighter shots are on an old bridge, 

sun drenched between a puddle-pond 

and a barn that’s peeling its paint. 


What both is and is not in the picture 

will be known to us later. I’ll turn

to the photo on the fridge, 

finger smudged, taking in 

the unknowns of then, 

before facial hair 

after baby fat

before acne… 


The curves of our faces 

hope at smiling, what I hope 

to be contentment. Even 

the breezes around us quiet—

a little calm was due, and

the portrait not quite perfect 

is captured, all, none, some: 

snapping us to attention.


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