Tintype-A Human Heart

The etching point Of emotion- A dark plate For splash of light- Stillness the contrast… Tintype-a human heart… I have an old Tintype, A soldier and his lovely lady; Radiant a pair as one would Like to see, When thinking of love And what love should be- Now both long gone, The photo faded somewhat, But fine enough for me. The hand-painted colors A bit muted, Steels acid reaction to time And pigment- My own spots just as real An acid reaction To light and what I reject In the name of image- An ongoing transparency, At times more evasive Then illumining, More the nature of prying, Unsettling, Not at all caressing as silk Contours to the human form, Drapes, Hugs without disturbing The sleek, smooth Nakedness inside- Him, the handsome young soldier In just right uniform, Her, wearing a bonnet With flowers made of ribbon, Not a thorn to surprise- On a white bench in a garden Somewhere long ago, We know they lived and cherished One another, And knew in their hearts The photo sighs "Only Tintypes never cry."