You Wake Up Thinking of Old Photographs of Long Gone Relations

If living were poetry,
Photographs could serve reverse
Ekphrastic commentary.

The baby pictures, the school
Poses, the military recruit,
The family at the wedding,

The gang of friends, the childless
Couple with dogs, the couple
With several kids, candid

Photographs from daily life,
The boastful vacationing,
Anniversary parties,

Newspaper clippings, shadowed
Dust jacket portraits, blurry
Pictures of faint elderly,

Whatever the images
Of whatever the living
After the living is done

Altogether, assembled
Or scattered, leave descriptions
Of otherwise forgotten

Details of the heroic
Suffering and performing
Verse of living awareness.