Picture Perfect

We change over time.  Yes we do, oh yes we do.  We change over time.

There are pictures that we see of ourselves, and we say
"that shit's iconic.
That's me
on that page, and
everyone
will recognize that that is me."

We keep it for a while,
in truth,
we keep it far too long.
And, then, we look at it anew.

And something about it has changed.
Not the lighting.  The smile, the sarcastic expression.
Not the location or the clothes.  Not the
million details that made us who we thought we are.

Instead, those background people all have gone away (for to stay a little while)
and you don't wear that coat anymore.
You've gotten a haircut
and an earring
and flipping off the camera seems less counter-culture than
completely futile.

And today's iconic picture looks so much the same but
so much older.
Invisible lines play across your face,
and he joy of trash talk isn't as sweet and
all time in the past is stolen stolen stolen.

The perfect picture changes, and we click update without thinking
what is it we're covering up.