The Photo Album: A Poem by Srividya Subramanian

I slowly turned the yellowing pages in monochrome,

To find many known faces smiling at me.

“Come join us”, they lovingly seem to call,

As they pose proudly before an unknown entity.

I look searchingly for special effects and emojis on photos

Which nowadays in my phone gallery, I invariably see,

None of that I can find in those precious, old albums,

Just happy and exciting moments that build lifelong memories.

My bawling son on his first birthday surrounded by friends and family,

My doting daughter on her first school fancy dress competition

Were just some anxious moments, that now bring joy to me,

These pictures captivate me to no end like the tricks of a magician.

Time moves on, giving me unrefusable moments of joy and agony,

More to keep and some to share, I hardly halt to savour these.

In the present time, I look for someone more important than many,

They peep lovingly through my album; I adore that gentle squeeze!