Grama Josephine’s
Brownie Target 620 Box Camera
It sat on a shelf
in the hallway of
our apartment on Halsted st.
in our Lakeview neighborhood
drawing no interest, yet present
throughout my childhood
I paid little attention to its purpose
just knew that it went
many places with Grama
waiting like her,
for any opportunity or
an occasion, a reason
for her to look down
then click it’s shutter
she stored her loose
developed pictures
in a bureau drawer
later to be sorted then placed
in one of many worn
leather albums kept high
on a closet ledge
it was not until she was gone
that I finally saw, felt the
magic and purpose
of such a simple
bygone technology
all those precious
black and white photos
she often snapped
like Vivian Meier, year after year
for people to view nostalgically
to remember long after she was gone
RM Yager is a retired nurse/teacher/photographer whose topics are marginalized, at risk populations, poetry is her vehicle to deliver words most people find unspeakable, hopes to offer inclusion, wants to stop you in your tracks with controversial humor/tragedy within family and relationships, but she also loves whimsy and humor and nature. She is widely published within the US and internationally.
Brownie Target 620 Box Camera
It sat on a shelf
in the hallway of
our apartment on Halsted st.
in our Lakeview neighborhood
drawing no interest, yet present
throughout my childhood
I paid little attention to its purpose
just knew that it went
many places with Grama
waiting like her,
for any opportunity or
an occasion, a reason
for her to look down
then click it’s shutter
she stored her loose
developed pictures
in a bureau drawer
later to be sorted then placed
in one of many worn
leather albums kept high
on a closet ledge
it was not until she was gone
that I finally saw, felt the
magic and purpose
of such a simple
bygone technology
all those precious
black and white photos
she often snapped
like Vivian Meier, year after year
for people to view nostalgically
to remember long after she was gone
RM Yager is a retired nurse/teacher/photographer whose topics are marginalized, at risk populations, poetry is her vehicle to deliver words most people find unspeakable, hopes to offer inclusion, wants to stop you in your tracks with controversial humor/tragedy within family and relationships, but she also loves whimsy and humor and nature. She is widely published within the US and internationally.
