when i looked through the lens

I watched you smile, embarrassed,
about the attention you were given
watched you stretch and close your eyes
when I looked through the lens


But the shutter clicked, mirror clattered
blocked you for that instant you glanced
and gave your heart, though I didn't see it
when I looked through the lens

in the darkroom later, fixer smells
prints darken and come to life
and in the red glow I see truth I missed
when I looked through the lens

now captured in my mind and wall
framed in heart and oak with glass
I have to cherish that love once expressed
when I looked through the lens
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License