This poem means a lot to me, I first heard it in a commercial for insurance on youtube. But I can’t find the video, so if any one out there finds it, send me the link and I will post the video on here.

edit September 23rd 2026: I received an email from a man named Jon Hall, who had worked on the ad campaign that I mention above, to let me know that the 60 second ad called “photographs” was created by the ad agency WCRS in London for the insurance company Prudential, and that it was narrated by Roger McGough. Here is a link to the video: https://adsspot.me/media/tv-commercials/prudential-photographs-d2573daee44d I will say this made my day to have his email come in.


But here is the poem, by the famous poet/lyricist

Fran Landesman “Photographs”

Photographs are smiles that last forever;
Snow men that never melt away,
Birthday celebrations caught in amber,
Rescued from the vaults of yesterday.

Faces that were once more dear than diamonds,
Boys that kept you up until the dawn,
Houses filled with bicycles and babies,
Ghosts who left their shadows on the lawn.

Photographs are holes in time’s gray curtain,
Through them we can peek into the past,
Call upon our parents and children,
Pop a cork with members of the cast.

There they are, the days of jazz and joy-rides;
Snaps of magic moments lit by laughs;
If you ever find my house on fire
Leave the silver, save the photographs.

I love this poem on so many levels. And seriously if you ever see my house on fire, run inside, up the stairs and in our client lounge, on the huge bookshelf. The third shelf from the top and the third section on the right; there is a large legal size black binder with all of my family’s ancient photographs. You need to save that!!