Finding Frames

By Jaden Idris (Cincinnati, OH)

There is a picture in my home without a frame.

My mother is currently in the process of buying a new one since the old one broke.

We need a frame to encapsulate the image of my beautiful mom, pregnant with twins, and my

brother and I, in our green and red Christmas attire.

We look incredibly happy. We were incredibly happy.

My brother and I’s faces embody youth, innocence, and oblivion.

Though, my mother’s smile fails to reach her eyes.

The picture looks normal to me, but to anyone else, it seems empty.

A ghost lies in the blotchy, bleached white background.

Holes of white interrupt the vibrant colors of our clothes where my father should be.

Picture and frame: both are broken.

A frame builds the illusion of perfection and completeness.

Even the most hideous picture can be transformed by a frame, fabricating a faux version of

perfection.

If we find a suitable frame, we can fix the picture.

The finishing touches of a picture lie within our control.

How others perceive the story is up to us.

The photograph could be ugly, fading, and tearing apart, but we can choose to shift the narrative.

The frame enhances the image—creating something beautiful.

You pick the ending; the ending does not pick you.

You may not be able to change the picture, but you can always change the frame.