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I OPEN HER OLD DUSTY BOXES 
FILLED WITH HER MEMORIES 

PICTURES OF FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES
MANY OF THE SAME PEOPLE AND SOME NEW ONES, ONLY CHANGING CLOTHS. HAIRSTYLES AND POSITIONS
OVER THE YEARS IN VARIOUS HOUSES, ROOMS AND LANDSCAPES
AND THEIR PLACES IN THE STACK OF PHOTOGRAPHS

THEY POSE, THEY PLAY, THEY PARTY
FROM BIRTH TO BIRTH

THE WEDDING, BABY AND SCHOOL CLASSROOM PHOTOGRAPHS  
WERE ALL KEPT NEATLY IN CARDBOARD FOLDERS WITH CUTOUT FRAMES EXPOSING THEM TO HER 

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PILE BETWEEN THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS 
AND THE COLORED ONES
NEXT TO THE MARRIAGE, BIRTH, AND GRADUATION CERTIFICATES
ARE DEATH CERTIFICATES AND MASS CARDS 
GIVING US THEIR NAMES 
ALONG SIDE PICTURES OF SAINTS 

MANY OF THE EARLY BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH OF HER PARENTS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS USED TO BE KEPT TOGETHER IN TATTERED MANILLA ENVELOPES TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE 
AT THE TOP OF HER MEMORIES
A FEW OF THOSE MEMORIES 
VERY SPECIAL TO HER 
USED TO BE KEPT IN SIMPLE VICTORIAN FRAMES 
ON HER BEDROOM BUREAU 
ALONG WITH EARLY PICTURES OF ME, MY BROTHERS AND OUR DAD
 
THE LATER FAMILY PICTURES OF BLACK AND WHITE AND COLOR WERE KEPT IN TACKY ALBUMS
THAT AGED WITH US OVER TIME

AS THE PEOPLE PASSED ON 
NEW ONES TOOK THEIR PLACE 
ALONG WITH THE NEW MASS CARDS
GIVING US THEIR NAMES 
ALONG SIDE PICTURES OF SAINTS

THE NEW WEDDING, BABY AND SCHOOL CLASSROOM PHOTOGRAPHS  
WERE ALL KEPT NEATLY IN CARDBOARD FOLDERS WITH CUTOUT FRAMES EXPOSING THEM TO US 

I DO NOT RECOGNIZE MANY OF THOSE IN HER EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS
BUT THERE IS NO ONE LEFT TO ASK AS TO WHO THEY WERE

THE DIARIES, SCHOOL AUTOGRAPH ALBUMS AND PERSONAL PHONE BOOKS IN HER WRITING 
THAT I HAVE FOUND IN THE BOXES 
WILL GIVE LITTLE CLUE AS TO THE REAL PAST
THEY, LIKE THE POSED PHOTOGRAPHS 
WILL GIVE TO THOSE WHO WERE NOT THERE 
ONLY THE VAGUENESS INDICATION OF SPECIFIC SNAPSHOTS IN THEIR TIME 
WITHOUT ANY OF THE CONNECTING TISSUES. 

PART OF THE MEMORIES FOUND IN THE SMALL BOXES WERE THE PERFUMES, JEWELRY AND PILLS THAT SHE WORE 
THAT GOT HER FROM ONE EVENT TO THE NEXT. 

THE MEMORIES THAT WERE IN THESE BOXES 
ARE ALL GONE 
OUT INTO THE WORLD
AND ALL THAT REMAINS
ARE THE PAPERS AND THINGS THAT ONCE WERE
LAYING IN THE BOXES IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER COLLECTING DUST 
AND WAITING FOR SOMEONE 
SOMEDAY 
TO PICK THEM UP 
AND WONDER WHAT AND WHO THEY WERE.
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