Stranger by John Leyland
It was strange how it happened.
Nan found one of those old style films
in a drawer, managed to get it developed
and there you were, you and Mum,
apparently at some wedding somewhere
and yes, that should have been strange
enough, too much even
after all this time to stumble
on such an image, but stranger;
it could have been me in that picture
and I don't just mean the captured manner
of you and her together, I mean it really
could have been me. To see
such a perfect, undeniable
replica of you makes me wish
I'd been there in the dark room
to see you develop and form
an invisible line between your eyes and mine.
Comments
Seagirl on Tuesday 16th Mar 2010
I was really struck by this one because I once found an old photograph of my mom at about 16 and I was stunned to see my face in hers.
The last line in particular is exceptional. Thanks for letting us share this moment with you. Very poignant.
Lisa
John Leyland on Sunday 28th Mar 2010
lisa,
thanks very much for your comment there.
i’m really glad you see the poignancy - for me it’s about (among many other things) communicating the experience of looking at a photograph and how loaded it is, and the shock of genetics and all that stuff.
the last lines are by far my favourite in the poem as well ;0)
best
j.