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The Photograph: A Poem by Vasudha Pansare

Suddenly her eyes fall on the old photograph,
She looks so pretty and so innocent,
How quickly time passes, like a flash,
And now her face is lined with wrinkles,
But her heart is young and her eyes twinkle.

The old photographs bring back so many memories,
Each one tells so many old, delightful stories,
A lifetime is hidden in these black and white photos,
She remembers her life through the old faded pictures,
Her past flashes before her eyes like racing clouds.

Every photo stores and cherishes some moments,
When your hours and days disappear into the past,
Only photos remain to remind you of bygone events,
Gradually everyone of your photos too will crumble to dust,
You too will vanish from this earth, leaving everything behind.

Mortality is the only certainty of human existence,
She knows this, and yet how precious it is to live,
How delightful it is to laugh, love, and give,
How wonderful it is to experience time on earth,
How beautiful to feel the joys and the mirth.