Snapshot of Tomorrow

by Brittanie Hopkins

Shimmering jewels and polished high heels,

A dazzling pink gown dressed in silver sequins,

Glowing red lipstick lines the lips of her toothless smile.

A princess tiara tops her bouncing brunette curls.

The camera clicks to capture the face of the beaming five year old,

Consumed in her own world of princes, dragons, and castles.

Days full of dress-up and tea parties were drifting away,

And soon would only be found in her dreams.

The reflection in the mirror was now different.

The mirror must be making a mistake,

Because she was a beautiful princess.

But the curls had disappeared and the tiara no longer fit.

Thoughts of the imagination were kept secret,

For she would be laughed at if her longings were exposed.

As the tea parties turned into midterms and finals,

And the castles transformed into a broken home,

She couldn’t seem to find her way back into those special places.

Yearning for the days when she could be a princess again,

She glanced back at the snapshot for one last look.

Aspirations of becoming a teacher finally came true.

And her princess days had long been forgotten,

Until her own children were captured by the camera.

And her students became firemen, policemen, and doctors.

The beauty of it all finally was understood.

Embarrassment and shame of the pretend world no longer existed,

But now was encouraged.

The snapshot of the princess had never before had such a meaning.