I was a bit startled
by the sudden pop-up.
With an exclamation sign,
it speechlessly cried:
"Do you want to archive
your old items now?"
Before clicking 'Yes'
I could not suppress
the desire
to casually scrutinize
some of the files
from erstwhile
It was then
that I found
that sepia-toned photo
from a long time ago.
I clicked the button
and the picture
began to open
like a suspense presentation.
And lo!!!
the screen
was soon exuberant
with the boyish delight
of a face
that was raw and digitized.
I was besieged
by a certain memory
of a bygone memory.
The face;
resembled me
and seemed
pure and unsullied
...sans any imprints
of time.
I was exhilarated
as I had not
hurriedly superannuated
that amber shaded,
nascent and jaded
photo-file.
After all,
It was me
of my teens!!!
Lost in reverie;
I hit:
"Save as JPEG"
but the computer reparteed:
"Can not save. Read-only"
And then:
"Do you want to save
with a different name?"
As I clicked 'No'
I seemed to know
that it was
as futile
to save the file
as it is to try
to replicate
that ‘flower-in-a-bloom’ smile
...again
Somehow,
it seemed inappropriate
to keep a counterfeit
of what was then authentic.
So,
I took a while
to carefully feel
the rays of innocence
exuding from the screen
and then exhaled,
clicked 'close'
and ...let it go.