Pictures

I’d look at pictures and see moments frozen
Smiles
Happiness
Laughter
But I can’t help but wonder what was really happening
In the moment
After the moment
Before
Before this still image of joy and innocence captured the pure likeness of family
No pain hurt anger quarrel
Just pure happiness
The camera never lies, it shouldn’t lie
But what of the family Christmas cards, portraits
Hanging on the walls of liars and adulterers
Thieves, incest, family
Familiar acquaintances mainly inconsiderate liars yearning …yearning to destroy my innocence
Yearning to decimate my purity with words of kindness coating the self-esteem eradicating stanzas
Of why we aren’t good enough of why we will never amount to anything
Of why we can be like our brother or more like our sister, the good child the better child
I didn’t know that families were small gatherings of individuals binded by blood but divided by discrimination birthed into a never ending competition of who is the best who will be cared for, who will be wanted
So you see I don’t get it
How do these pictures we put in our albums create this new image of togetherness
Of joy
Creating this lie
Pictures capture the moment, a moment,a very brief period of time, never the story.
So fill your albums with pictures with smiles and laughter so you may reminisce on a time that broke the true meaning of family and gave u peek into happiness