Exact Paper Portraits Poem by nathan martin

stacked certificates of printed births,
ink stamped little feet on four by eight cards.

such near relatives returning anually to
the hallmark isle to get a little less specific.

a funny card, a sad card,
a card for a hand shake
and a card for the holidays.

printed and chopped up to mix
a little emotion in with the paper.

selling handshakes and hugs, the smell
of her hair and the familiar tones of his voice.

paper and ink create the space to part
the old from the young.

some full of color some aged in black and white.

but there were some who were far past their stick figured
golden crayan bethel's.

there were some that no colors could decribe,
no images resemble.

there were some that were exact paper portraits.

theirs is only an ink footprint and a story,
a wrinkeled face without an ornate border
and they are very rare collected
by a very old god.