Once I took a photo
Of you. With my little camera.
We were on holiday
Near a castle by the sea
All the hits.
On a belvedere.
A place to look.
The lense blinked
Just as a dolphin
Arched out of the sea below.
Triggershot I took another
Of you as you turned
At the noise, the sound
Again as you turned to face me with child eyes.
We travelled on.
I finished the film and more
Than once
Ventured as far as the door of the shop
Too shy that my language would fail
I never entered.
And the film in its barrel stayed in my
Rucksack
With my flip flops
And Airport book and
Scrunchie
And lotions which eventually met and insinuated their way
Into my poor defenceless little film in its barrel
And those moments vanished in a haze of showergel and lipbalm.
And no, the memories don’t linger.
Just a little glimpse
Of your child eyes
Is what I hold onto
From that day.
Stefanie Moore 