Final Poetry - Family Portrait

A girl with a white dress smiles brightly at the camera,

a boy's dimples pucker in his grin,

a baby's lips blow-up in a tiny 'coo,'

and proud parents mother and father hold them closely.

 This family appears so happy

without a care in the world of the future.

<<new stanza needed, perhaps, b/c of the shift in time and perspective??

I sit inside my apartment, feet dangling off my bed, cigarette in hand

as I pull from a shoe box a photograph

and reflect on who these people must have been twenty years ago.

I can nearly hear their voices,

whispers now,  as if distant memories.

Where did we lose ourselves?  <good question

When did we become so distant?  <yes

Flash. The picture:  taken.

The Our family is frozen with smiles on their faces.

Every time I see it I smile.  <a better ending<let readers end w/ the smile too<

Remembering a family portrait that used to be

immortalized in a flash.

Nice work, Randy.  Again, review my comments for direction.  And stop smoking; it's going to kill you one day:)  (No extra charge for the sage health advice!!!)  Gary

Family Portrait

A girl with a white dress smiles brightly at the camera,

a boy's dimples pucker in his grin,

a baby's lips blow-up in a tiny 'coo,'

and proud parents hold them closely.

 This family appears happy

without a care in the world of the future.

I sit inside my apartment, feet dangling off my bed, cigarette in hand

as I pull from a shoe box a photograph

and reflect on who these people must have been twenty years ago.

I can nearly hear their voices,

whispers, now distant memories.

Where did we lose ourselves? 

When did we become so distant?

Flash. The picture:

Our family is frozen with smiles.

Every time I see it I smile.