The Photograph
There is a photograph in my head. I’ve probably seen hundreds of other photographs that were more impressive, but this one is special.
Theres a lake. All around, almost everything is green. Green grass, trees, shrubs. The sun is shining brightly, but not fiercely, and there is a gentle breeze on a cool summer afternoon.
There are a few birds gathered by the shore. A few ducks, certainly, as well as a couple of pigeons. In the distance, near the middle of the lake, you can make out the outline of a family boat, pulling a rubber raft, with the kids playing on the water.
At the edge of the picture, really just peeping out from left hand corner, is the front fender of a light cyan car (some would say teal). Only a small part can be seen but in your mind’s eye, you know the exact make and model, you know exactly what that car looks like from the inside. You know that in the backseat, is a gray knapsack holding sunblock and various items and accessories, and a black men’s cotton jacket, embroidered with a blue dragon and the logo of a far-away Hard Rock Cafe.
At the center of the picture, you’d guess a few meters from the lakeshore, is a picnic table. Seated at the table, their backs turned towards the camera, is a couple. They’re not too close, not actually touching, and yet, they’re not seated too far apart either. You can’t see their faces, but you know, from the slant of their heads, that they’re looking, smiling at one another, with looks that say, “Well, here we are… and we’ll stay this way… forever.”
You can’t see the couple’s hands from this angle, but part of you knows that there, just hidden from view, is a half eaten pizza, and plastic cups of soda. You know, from the activity on the water, the the ducks are gathering, eager to partake of whatever crumbs might be left uneaten.
And at that very moment, as their eyes speak their unspoken vows, the shutter clicks, and captures the moment, for all eternity.