Day two of NaPoWriMo. The prompt is A Family Portrait and comes from http://www.napowrimo.net/
Here is a poem.
A Family Portrait
A picture of us all
captures four generations
of smiles.
Four generations of worry
and stresses all forgotten
for one moment.
One moment where we come
together to celebrate
the matriarch that has
brought us all together
for birthday festivities.
She sits dead centre,
hands resting on her lap,
a score of great-grandchildren
at her feet,
grand-children on the edge
of the stage,
the backdrop for
this vignette.
The children,
now grandparents themselves,
are given the deference
of more comfortable chairs.
There is chaos in the moments leading up to this;
mini-arguments as to whom
is sitting where and next to whom.
A glass of Coca-Cola is put
on the stage and immediately spilled
down one of the youngest’s back.
They get wedged in between
two chairs near the edge to hide
the rapidly-onsetting stain.
All of this melts away
as soon as the photographer
gives his cue.
The first time I saw that picture
properly framed,
it sat between a half-eaten punnet
of grapes and a luke-warm
jug of water.
The matriarch,
the conductor of our harmonious moment,
smiled at the treasure and closed her eyes.