Diana Darby ** "I V" ** Intravenous

Kodak Moment

Pretend
the photograph
is the future
and there is nothing
looking back at you.
No toilet overflowing.
No underwear on the floor.
Birds fly like elevators up five floors
smack into windows,
then careen backwards
into hospital casseroles
where they are served to unsuspecting patrons.
A moment.
Frozen in space.
Black chips on the table.
The way your lover looks at you
before the apple falls.
Hands holding dishes and spoons.
Pumpkins smashed on sidewalks.
What if there were nothing in the frame
but emptiness?
What then?