Obituary Images

I wonder what my
quintessential picture
will be, when I am
an image on
a desk
a mantelpiece
a newspaper
a frame hung tastefully
above an altar.

My eyes will shine,
my smile will
stretch inappropriately
for the occasion, someone will
want to cover it up
with soft black cloth
out of respect.

In the quintessential picture
on my desk, she is
smiling, blue eyes crinkled,
holding a bottle of wine.

I wonder if the
camera’s snap
felt something
like a bug bite,
a sudden itch and urge
to swat away, a nagging
sensation that someday
her life would crumble
inward,
leaving only
that moment,
her crinkled eyes.

© Sarah Stringer