Whiskey-Induced Joy

as i flipped through old photo albums
it occurred to me
that these faded grays
and yellows
have truly faded
and that many of
these people
i would either never see again
or completely forget about

as the years roll on
some things become more clear
and others just become more confusing
just like in a Raymond Carver story
or something

but my joy is not
that the past makes more sense
but that the future happens
upon me fearlessly
like a rabid wolf