Then and Now

I looked at my father’s photograph
He was about the same age as my youngest son
Then a soldier, now a student
The two, handsome and hardly blemished

I looked at my eldest son’s photograph
He was about the same age as my granddaughter
Then the flowing hair, now the flowing hair
The two, beautiful and innocent

The lives beginning, proceeding and ended
A short 72 years to play, love, fight, wonder and die
The faces in the photographs look at me
The faces in the photographs look a little like me

I cry as I look at my father
I cry as I look at my sons
I cry as I look at my granddaughter
For the same and different reasons

I look through my photograph album
The faces, some frown, some smile, all fixed
All they had is gone
All I have is now

© Hey Hey 2003

Tragic yet cathardic and heroic. Then ending could not be more perfect. I will carry that wisdom as long as I can....all we have is now....