Scrapbooks Set Aside

kind of sad, i must admit.

in this dusty old attic
in this little house of whispers and shadows
you open the frayed and fragile pages of
the old picture book in the corner.
the one that grandma doesnt look at
because of grandpas waning smile
throughout the pages.
and mommy and daddy dont look at
because glossy wedding photos
show them what they looked like
with love still in both their eyes.
and you dont even look at that much
because now youre old enough to understand
how the happier the memory, the more it hurts.
but you still go up here, once in a while
when youre lonely, when youre hurting
and you crack the spine and let
tears run over all those moments
someone decided to capture in time.
they run over all of the kisses, and parties,
the dances and family dinners.
and through your tears, you smile
at these hard earned memories.
and the laughter hurts more than the tears
but you know you must feel everything
you can from these pictures.
you must remember. you know that.
you must always remember.