Pictures of Another

An old photograph sits stuffed in an unlikely corner of a forgotten book, tucked away in plain sight, but with none to read it - none who care to. The book highlights rules, orders, guidelines that put the reader to sleep. The picture highlights a bygone era, black and white the norm. A dapper gentleman appears, smirking, wearing the same uniform as I - and yet his seems to speak more volume, crisp on his photogenic frame. A lovely dame has her arm through his, smiling as wide as can be - I can only surmise the joy they found all those years ago. A tree overhangs them in the background, looking for all the world like it was there for the express purpose of this held memory; picturesque doesn't scratch the surface. On the other side, another photograph: this one of the same man, in different clothes. A flight jacket, goggles, and khaki pants, posed outside a bird's open cockpit. Both photographs beckon through the keyhole, for the viewer to glimpse through to antiquity; gently they're placed back in their place of rest, for another on duty to catch that fleeting glance.