Before and After Pictures

[couchgrouch]

Before and After PicturesJimmy stood confused by the ironing boardas their insults flew back and forthhe was young and the word "divorce"was something he didn't understandev'ry day was another battleMom threatened to move home to Seattleneither one could see how that'llbruise a boy worse than beatings canJimmy walked in their bedroom...shut the dooropened the bottom dresser drawerscattered old photos on the floorand held yesterday in his tiny handbefore and after picturesof the happy fam'ly that waswho knows where time goesand why it often takes lovehe saw how they all held handsin line for Space Mountain at Disneylandweekend picnics in Willow Parkon Daddy's shoulders birdwatching in their yardall those scenes, seem like dreams somehowbecause of pictures they're painting nowand that boy knows the diff'rence betweenbefore and after picturesJimmy sat there trying to hidefrom the fight still raging outsidefaces in those photos saw him cryand somehow they soothed his painthere's a dog-eared one of Mom and Dada baby resting in his father's laphe rarely saw them smile like thatwould things ever be the samethen Jimmy heard how quiet it grewas they wondered where he ran off toand when they walked into that roomthat doorway was like a framefrom before and after picturesof the happy fam'ly that waswho knows where time goesand why it often takes lovehe saw how they all held handsin line for Space Mountain at Disneylandweekend picnics in Willow Parkon Daddy's shoulders birdwatching in their yardall those scenes, seem like dreams somehowbecause of pictures they're painting nowand that boy knows the diff'rence betweenbefore and after pictureswell, ev'ry picture tells a storythey saw dozens of stories from long agolooked at each other and felt sorrythere were stories just their son seemed to knowfrom before and after picturesof the happy fam'ly that waswho knows where time goesbut it doesn't have to take loveit doesn't have to take love(c)2005 Robert George