Matthew Miller
Fadeout
No one's really sure how long Family has been, and it's curious they live so tranquilly. They're almost a photograph the way they pose facing us with cheery smiles. They have Sunday clothes and eyes that seem to have never been occupied by a single thought except love, love. You might think they really are just images, then Mother will tuck the hair behind Daughter's ear, or Son will adjust his cap. Then you can tell they're a real family. For as long as anyone remembers, they've been appearing. Clouds pass through & around them. Birds fly by. My wife thinks Father is a high school teacher, who enjoys macramé in his spare time, while Daughter (I agree) seems like the kind of girl who has painted all of her ceramic horses. The young like to make fun of them, but the older you get, the more fond. With all the questions we have, they never seem to hear us. Don't see us. Give no sign.