The painting is nostalgic but with a bit of unease. These girls are not happy, the title, “Say Cheese” is an ironic mention. Maj Ragain’s response poem, “What the Dead Remember” takes a darker turn. He imagines the girl with no name. She is dead and forgotten. The suburban idyllic atmosphere is pierced with a dose of mortal reality. Can the listeners of the poem hear the dissonance between the saccharin colors and foreboding message?
