Face-scape
Face-scape of a different
Time and place
Name unknown
Still a member of the human race
Family ties a mystery
Profession can only be guessed
Parlor maid, teacher or cook
Author of a book
Writing poems all day long
Singing songs in memory of
Loved ones dead and long gone
A member of the aristocracy
With pinky in the air
Fine porcelain china cup
A lady oh so fair
Sewing tiny stitches
Revealing letters in a sampler
Or did you go to steno school
Taking notation in short hand
Or were you a telephone operator
“Good Morning, Trans-Texas Airlines,
Mr. Byman Wilson’s office.”
Or Mother of children
Learning numbers in school
Count to ten
And then…
You were a Grandmother
Saying nursery rhymes
Little red hen, the sky is falling, rin, tin, tin
Your life is almost over
You don’t
Remember when
The world all changed
Your life was once so busy
And now you are sleeping in
Doesn’t seem to matter if it
Rains or shines
The only things you look forward to
Is the end of the each day
And now you are gone as well
The only thing remaining
Is a black and white photograph
Stacked in a jumble sale
Price 1.99
The value of a life
No one remembers
Who you were
Or how your life began
Or how that life was lived
Or what happened in the end
Still I look upon the image of your face
And know you would do it all again
annellannell 
This Magpie is one of your all time greats!!!!!!!
Good poem, Annell. So sad to see family photos sold at a jumble sale or somewhere else. I know we have a box with some unkknown family members’ picures. So many unknown stories within pictures of an unknown person. Sad really to think that someone’s life has come to this..just another photo to pass over.
You are right. And I have take box, too. Look at faces I did not know, and now no one knows. Perhaps at perfect book? Thanks Mary. Annell Livingston HC 74 Box 21860 El Prado, NM 87529
annell@taosnet.com http://www.annelllivingston.com http://www.somethingsithinkabout-annell-annell.blogspot.com
that is the beauty, in knowing no matter if it was remembered or not i would still do it all again. you are my last comment before hitting the road…see you in a couple days annell…
Yes, she has a face that poses all your questions. Thank you.
Hi Annell, there have been many times when I’ve looked at old photos and thought similar thoughts – what were their stories? what gave them great joy and sorrow? and too that it comes down to possessions being stuffed into boxes and laid out onto hay wagons for auction, meaningless to most but the collector or hoarder. I think that about my own things sometimes. and it stirs me to un-clutter and depossess. I’ve missed reading your writes. I lost you for awhile and that made me sad, but somehow I found you again, so I’m happy! have a fun day.
what a nice poem
with such questions
She was a life on this earth
that’s good enough for me to know
and now she has an honored place
in the unremembered pictures
But we may be jumping to a conclusion….
my step grandmother got rid of our family things
without our knowing…until it was too late
I often think…who has my grandpa’s gold watch with the fob?
and they are probably thinking that nobody cared
nice magpie
Fantastic! Loved it.
The final line is a breath catcher. Lovely work.
I loved this, we all speculate so much about this unknown woman and the lives of others but how much do we ever actually know. I love the final line!
Cute little blog you have here at WordPress Annell..Yes most of us would do it all again…just the way we did it…without the mistakes and the joys..something would just be missing…..bkm
Wonderful write, Annell. The word “facescape” fits this prompt so perfectly.