Album Faces Poem by Lonnie Hicks

In my photo album
languish years

compressed and angled
with four corners
where youth and age mix;

mostly smiles regaling
good times frozen
baby eyes and faces;

teen years
and marriages;
friends severed
by divorces;

yellowed senior
grannies
and rigidly posed Great Grannies
all in the same book
but not able to touch;

all gathered by me
into close proximity;
sepia and digital ones
Polaroids and 8's
resting in their resting place,

inside my album world
where a finger-tip touch
of Grannies face
is a kiss given to
Baby Grace
new to this world;

and just arrived
to her album space-
baby smile glowing-
for my daughter
in years to come
to lovingly
contemplate.

We learn to live and record our precious times
in photos fresh or graying
and in doing so
ensure against sweet memories decaying;
ensuring fresh
each moments glow
from new cherub
to Grannies
beautiful wedding dress.

We lay them down
close
side by side
to increase proximity
across times'
decaying border.