I

On vacation I was asked,
"Why don't you take pictures of people?"
It was both a question and an accusation.

Because the you in the photo
no longer exists.
Only you, now, exist.

You are not that external form.
You are what I hold in my heart.

II

Don't take my picture.
The me you end up with
isn't me at all.
It's my frozen, tattered overcoat.

Carry me within, instead–
full, rich, nuanced,
revealing, attending, longing,
holding you
holding me.

Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.