Picture Perfect

Look at this picture.

What do you see?

You don’t need to be an expert to say-

This is a family.

 

This family is out on a picnic.

Daddy, Mommy and Lil’un.

 

This is Daddy.

Daddy looks impatient.

All he wants is to get back home

Slump on the couch and watch boxing on TV

The punches flying about like butterflies,

it’s Ali after all.

 

Daddy lets out a belch.

In the dark, the light from the telly flickers.

Daddy cheers.

Goes to the fridge for another beer.

 

This is Mommy.

Mommy likes to clean.

Right now Mommy is worried.

She sees ants crawling into the picnic hamper.

 

Mommy is clean. Mommy scrubs.

Mommy dusts. And scrubs some more.

Mommy does not like to be touched.

Even by lil’un.

 

This is lil’un.

Lil’un ain’t got no clue what to do.

 

Lil’un wets her bed.

Waits for the brush.

 

Lil’un breaks a plate.

Cayenne pepper it is.

 

Lil’un washes her eyes at the sink,

 

Lil’un blinks.

Lil’un can see again.

 

Sometimes it’s a heated spoon

Lil’un waits for the sear.

Mommy puts Burnol

to make it all go away.

 

Mommy cries.

Lil’un looks at her with her big eyes.

 

Mommy cries some more.

Daddy looks angry.

Daddy breaks a bottle.

Mommy screams.

 

Lil’un hides under the covers.

 

Mommy comes in to put out the light.

Lil’un tries to give Mommy a hug.

Mommy pushes her away.

 

Mommy says- You should not show love.

You should only feel it in your heart.

 

Lil’un remembers how good it feels to hold a puppy.

Lil’un wants a lil pup.

Mommy won’t even hear of it.

 

Lil’un closes her eyes

wakes up in the middle of the night

sobbing.

 

Look at this picture.

Don’t you see?

You don’t need to be an expert to declare-

This is a family.

 

 
Expert