Pictures of Us
One Sliver
of
the
whole
is snapped
away from me.
The photographer raises his 35 millimeter.
Unwilling to let this moment die,
in peace,
he destroys it,
makes it fake.
As a lie, it loses
its innocence.
“Smile,” says the photographer
to a girl having a bad day.
The moment wasn't meant to smile.
A moment has one
life to live.
I kill moments,
all the time.
Who knew murder
could feel so guiltless?
I don't feel bad
for bending time,
forcing it to do my will.
I trick it, manipulate it,
make it something
it never knew it was destined to be.
Is this so unnat-
ural?
How would you feel,
closest of strangers,
if I stole your moments
away from your intended path?
What if I mixed your
moments with mine?
Would your time be tainted,
as I manipulate mine and yours,
into believing it was always ours.
Honestly, I love you,
or at least the idea of us.
This is how all my friendships
start.
One moment to be ours,
and all others to use as we like.