Four Photos On A Wall ~ Sophiyya EmBee

Photo Credit: tender.photo

Four photos on a wall. One distant, like an outcast. One drifting, as if a storm cast it out.

 

Each hangs at an odd angle, their uneven alignment hinting at imperfection, at something unsettled. The gaps between them echo a longing, as if the wall remembers what’s missing.

 

Once, your wall held photos too—a family portrait, smiles frozen before life scattered you all like cotton flowers across a field. The eldest at graduation, the second-born at a picnic, the third on a holiday, the last-born mid-laughter on his birthday.

 

You struggle to recall the photo of your parents—the one your mother took down. It reminded her too much of what was, of your father before the cancer hollowed him out.

 

Now, these four photos make you long for the eight that once filled your wall. Or seven. Or six. Or five. Or, even just four. Even with the spaces in between.

Sophiyya EmBee is a poet, writer, and an unrepentant Tea addict. She is the Administrative Officer of Poetic Wednesdays Initiative and a fellow of the Flame Tree Writer’s Workshop. Her works have been published in The Arts Muse Fair, reflecting her passion for writing. She enjoys exploring new places, writing travelogues, and discovering diverse literary voices. Through her work, she seeks to connect, inspire, and leave a lasting impression.