thoughts become beliefs become
Ellen Crofton
Tripping in time to that upbeat disapproval
checking to see if you saw
making sure the crescendo falls when
something rises.
Vandalise the curves, the blemishes
the thinking,
unsure what that body means, feels –
normalising that voice
which becomes the chorus
with a Mariah Carey finale.
You find yourself swaying –
familiar with the notes, the rises;
not long after you find yourself dancing.
Join in
you know the lines
A ritual that still hums when not practiced
danced to when not preached
until thoughts and beliefs are alike
like friends mock-dancing in a club.
Then you find the girl called Her
staring back through glass
not sure why she can’t look
below the neck.
She sways again:
you know the lines
She sways again,
you know th-
with eyes closed this time.
Opens.
For a brief second
she paints over the graffiti
on the curves, the blemishes,
the thinking
until next time.
But it’s alright.

My own work is self-labelled as documentary photography, out of a lack of a better title. By carrying a camera daily, I aim to embody the spirit of the Brownie in making the means to photography ready to me at every moment, without obstruction – by doing so, I can take a photograph of anything that captures my eye and interests me enough to preserve. Any of us can do this these days, with a camera readily available in our pockets around the clock – and many of us do so without even thinking about it. Next time you take your phone out to take a photograph, whether it is of your friends or of something that caught your eye, think about how you are participating in the act of documenting your life through photography. Make prints of your favourites, display them on your walls, share them with your friends and family. Follow the tradition of those who came before you and took their own snapshots documenting their lives. Everyone is a documentary photographer today, and this is a good thing.