A Photographer's Argument

Photographs, with their eye discussion,
speaking in languages behind the retina.
How shall I purposefully frame?
You students, you authors, or strangers;
you musicians, you artists, poets,
punk rockers and hipster friends?

Should you must always be shot,
snapped, clicked, smiling gracefully,
not taking for granted that you are
eternally, or temporarily being documented
for someone's eternal or temporary history?

Because we all know that old story
of being lost and found again...,
then maybe lost again, some day to be found again.
And when you are found again,
for the first time or the millionth,
are you not better off to be found smiling?

Note the people of old and historic,
always smiling stiff in their rustic photos equally old.
Photographed black and white, now yellow and rough,
tattered but still strong, respectful in their suits and dresses,
never revealing a rough life,
never letting you spy in on the sadness or real,
the refusal to be shown broken, to have kept a face,
never having took granted a picture moment.
Do we see in their eyes the fates and loves,
the scorns and truths that we may already know
are present or innately in store?

So I say smile big, regardless of the incessant clicking
of your friend's or lover's quest for a document.
Let the observer know, whether it be your mother
or brother, or a friend, an enemy, a stranger,
a dog, cat, mouse, or flea..., or a complete nothing,
That you haven't lost, given up, and said in haste:
"Bah! Frowns for your photographs!
I'll frown in your photographs for eternity!"
Take in respect the eternal or temporary damage diverted.