Unwanted Frame

Caught mid-laugh, eyes blurred,

a face I barely recognize—

a snap frozen too loud,

a moment I never meant to keep.

I wince at the raw edges,

the loose mouth, the careless smile,

the weight of being caught

when the guard fell apart.

That photo—an open wound,

a slip between who I was

and who I want to be,

a frame I push away,

but still, it stares back,

unflinching and unkind.