FADING FAST

Life feels so permanent
Until
People start to pass from sight
Like the faces that fade
In that Back to the Future photograph

And suddenly
You walk past a family picture
And realize that everyone in it is gone

At the time
They may have had their whole lives before them
With hopes and worries for the future
And the I'll always be here feeling

Or the snapshot was taken
Later in life
As the golden glow of retirement warmed
And that italicized feeling had worn off

But now
Their faces are on Mass cards
Tucked into the corners of picture frames
And fading fast