a strip of four pictures
black and white
stacked on top of one another
taken behind a velvet curtain
in the mall photo booth
(that glorious few minutes waiting for the strip to slide out of the slot!)
it was June 8th
a warm afternoon
in high school
(who needs physics?)
three smiling ones, carefully posed
and the last one
goofy
tongue out the side of your mouth
eyes crossed
we said we would do it every June 8th
forever
you with your Farah Fawcett hair
mine shoulder length
our laughing eyes that had seen nothing yet

we never returned to that booth
and as we sit side by side today
looking at that strip of photos
your blue-veined hand trembling
as you show me
tears in your eyes
you turn my face to yours and
cross your eyes
and stick your tongue
out the side of your mouth
as we listen to the shouts of our
grandchildren in our yard.