tuesday, july 8
something noticed
people like to be written about
they like to be part of the story that's being told,
or the picture that's being drawn
people might hide from the camera
but they look for themselves
in photographs
i have my guesses why —
it feels good to be remembered by people
and to be told things about yourself
that say you matter
it feels good to be big enough
a part of someone else's life
that when they try to set down a piece of it forever
your presence seems like it lasts
it means something
to be in someone's dreams
or we want it to.
but if you are someone who writes
for other people to read
long enough
you get careful of this
not too careful, probably not even careful enough,
or your words lose all their honest shape
but
you learn that memory is by no means fixed
that words can alter what they set out to make last,
force shapes onto moments that were fluid when they were born —
and some things are sacred.