Old Photo Albums
by ©Richard Budig 2000


House empty, house quiet . . .
where have all the children gone?
Grown and moved away, old woman,
gone and left their trash behind . . .
broken promises strewn about
like so many dog poop stains
on the pricey carpet they said
they would keep safe from the beast.
Go look at old photo albums, woman.
Look at the pictures and see them
before they took away your power.
Or was it that you abdicated?
Children can’t take power.
Someone has to give it to them.
Someone who doesn’t care anymore.
Someone who no longer believes.
And what was it about you, old woman,
that killed your belief in yourself?