She’s pored over old photographs br Shifting through layers br Trying to find her lost child br To see for herself the transformation br br She wanted to see the signs br Of fear and pain, anger and shame br How the carefree child becomes the un-child br The clouding of the eyes br The disappearing smile br br There were so many of them br Images in black and white br So tiny, now fading grey br The paper once shiny, now thin and frayed br br But she could not see it br The absence br She could not recognize the emptiness br She always looked the same br Guiltless br Sinless br Always smiling br Always conscious of the probing br Finger-pointing eye of the camera br br © 2009 Sonya Florentino br br * with thanks to Ronald Peat for his critiquebr br Sonya Florentinobr br