Saturday 18 October 2014

Aunt Bess




I remember my childhood
Oh so many long years ago
Aunt Bess was a stranger to us
Yes, the one with the crazy laugh
A martyr to her memories
And a prisoner of her dreams
Whose secrets were in shadows
In the bright sunshine of our lives
She wore a diamond necklet
But no wedding ring shone for her
She lost her man in the great war
And her mind went shortly after
Just what seer could have forecast
War's cold steel that took him away
Would steal her mind as well

Image found at www.etsy.com

17 comments:

  1. Theft on two battle fronts...a clever piece...i think you found her story in that image..can't imagine it any other way

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    1. It's amazing what stories emerge from old photos, even if the person represented is a stranger to us. Well done!

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  2. War always has more casualties than counted. Nice piece of writing, Robin.

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  3. Far too many victims of war. It was the war to end all wars, I seem to recall.

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  4. Wow! very powerful and tightly and wonderfully written

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  5. Yes, I miss the Aunts and Uncles I grew up with, who quietly left the room, each had a story to tell, and each proably left their minds somewhere?

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  6. Oh how very sad. You wrote a beautiful poem that reminded me of an Aunt of my own.

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  7. I'm sure that has happened to so many who were left behind

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  8. "A martyr to her memories"----ah, too many people fall victim to that...great line though. And I like your use of steel/steal.

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  9. Love this one, OE! Losing a love, a mind can soon follow.

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  10. Nice and concise story here, Old Egg.

    Pamela

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  11. There are so many unknown casualties to war as someone else has already mentioned. Your word portrait is clear and definitive,

    Elizabeth

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  12. I like the way you built a story around a photograph. I sometimes come across photos like this in antique stores and I always wonder what these people's stories are.

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  13. A sad tale for sure.

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  14. This is a fantastic poem .. you wordle so well ... and how appropriate to speak of the great war ... in this year exactly 100 years after the event began. Bravo!

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  15. Very retrospective poem, reminds all of us about the challenge the wars cause to human, created after all for happy life...

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  16. Excellent. Read so much about what happen to wives and girlfriends of WW1 soldiers. This poem capture the terrible grief they experienced.

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