September 15, 2011 (I was 56)
In home movies more than sixty years ago
the family poses grouped as
for a still shot
They don’t know what to do
after the first click
keeps on clicking they look
uneasy
Then they each wave their
idiosyncratic salute
obviously on cue from the
director/cameraman
as one by one they walk
toward the lens
smiling as they are reminded
in passing
leaving the frame which
pans Grandma’s garden
The cameos are standard
improvs
Grandma pointing to tomato
plants blushing
The back screen door of his
tavern opens
Grandpa steps out already
looking older than he is
Young boy dons a leather
football helmet
Young girl almost
cartwheels on the lawn
Aunt Lucy turns to hide
behind a tree
In the alley cars new then
and humorous later
are classic relics now more
well-remembered
than anyone who drove them
No comments:
Post a Comment