photo album

they say one thousand words are worth one picture, 

I am saving up for a photo album

grainy polaroids shaken in the sun trying to reveal the scenes 

from days I used to run from, 

put each one carefully in their places, 

label them with the date, the time

and put names to all the faces I've forgotten

retrace the years spent dodging cameramen

scared. ashamed, gliding through the background 

of a life that I was desperate to censor

maybe if I write enough I can get back 

the things I don't remember