[Jim Moonan]

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Interesting, light take on a deadly serious subject (Ha!). If you were to add anything more, it would surely be to mention the further humiliation given when the person who is checking your photo against you standing right in front of them immediately sees the resemblance!

If I were writing this poem it would be full of angst, but your take is the better take: light. The rhyme scheme is rather sing-songy, which is borderline cringy to my ear. But then again, so are official passport photos! Your unabashed humor is disarming and the lightness is somehow philosophic in the end.

For some reason my ear wants to hear the word "guile" in the last line of the poem. I was thinking something like:

..............................Meanwhile,
let photos demonstrate our style;
let our guile bring on grins – not tears!

with the metrics worked out.


There is a deeper, onion-like poem to be had from this conceit of the photo not matching the image we want ourselves to project. (I've always been puzzled by the story of Narcissus. I can't tell if it is more narcissistic to always be unhappy with your reflection or vice versa. I can't imagine falling in love with the reflection of myself in the water. Look away!)

Is "Mug Shots" the title? If so, there may be a better title to be had...

Your poems most often have no filter. I mean that in the best possible way. No pretense, no artifice. Just you being you. I want to be more like that.
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