Taking pictures of people at the lake—
taking pictures of people
on the inner-tube or on the ski(s)
behind the boat,
so often the great shot—
the shot that would have taken your breath away—
the one that would have made you smile—
or laugh out-loud,
was the one you didn’t get
between the camera focusing and the click.
It’s the one you just missed.
And so you don’t get the height
of the jump (or the fall) over the wake—
the most acute angle of the lean—
that most exuberant gesture or expression.
And you may still have a good picture—
a fun picture.
But you know,
it’s not quite the one you wanted—
the one that conveyed the joy.
And there is always
so very much more
between the focus and the click.
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