Facial Recognition

All my favorite photos are of people smiling.
My lover-husband on my phone’s front screen
Saved to my picture gallery, dozens
of images of other glad folks I know.

Scrolling through them, I can feel
my cheek muscles stretching my lips,
so that I am smiling back at each face.
How much happier I am then!

I decide to try it out on people in the news.
Though their expressions are less helpful—
furrowed brows, hard frowns, tired eyes—
I transport myself to them, see them

as family, neighbors, dear old friends.
Sensing their troubles, I offer them my best
smile as assurance that good things will happen
or at least that I am here to help.

Staring back on Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram
or larger than life on the television screen,
they seem to soften, look a bit less stressed.
How much happier I am then!

by Anne McCrady

Newslinks: CNN, MSNBC, AP, Washington Post

Audiolink: SoundCloud