All over Blogland we can see pictures of people, living or dead, from full colour happy snaps to faded sepia, posed portraits. On the walls in my hallway I've a collection of my own, the oldest being a picture of my Mum, aged about four. I have very few surfaces for standing photo frames on, so the walls have been hammered into submission to display my personal rogues gallery.
Apart from these, I favour keeping my snaps in a small vanity case. They are easily accessible, and can be lovingly handled, one by one, each time I choose to wander back in time. Albums don't fill me with the same joy, though I do have a few organised samples in my bookcase.
Anyhow, the whole point of this post, is to let you share one of my favourite poems from childhood, which is all about photos on a wall. It's by Marion St John Webb, and is the last one in her volume called The Littlest One His Book...
What Andy Didn't Know
There's lots of people's faces
in photos on the wall
inside my Granny's parlour
an' all along the hall.
An' Andy said, "Let's see which makes
us laugh the most of all !"
An' some of them was nugly,
an' Andy laughed a lot,
an' said " Gee, look at this one !"
The whiskers he has got !"
An' me an' Andy laughed an' laughed
until we got all hot.
Then Andy found the one that made
him laugh the most of all.
A tiny baby's photo -
so nugly - on the wall,
an' sittin' in a pram it was,
all wrapped up in a shawl.
An' Andy laughed, an' I laughed
an' we kept laughin' so
that Granny came to find us.
She said, " Why, don't you know?
The baby in that photograph
is Andy - long ago ! "
Then no one laughed...And Andy's face
got red as red could be.
An' Andy wouldn't play again,
not anymore, with me
How cute. Yes you never know for sure who you might be viewing in old photos.
ReplyDeletevery very cute jinksy!!!! steven
ReplyDeleteLove it. Reminds me that when we point our finger at someone, three other fingers are aimed right at our own hearts.
ReplyDeleteWell, Andy could have kept laughing, it's good to laugh at oneself!
ReplyDeleteI think I may have been pulled up sharp by similar experiences. Nice poem, well observed.
ReplyDeleteSuch a funny poem. I did enjoy it! I keep some special photos in a small photo album beside my bed. I have others in boxes and lately I have taken to scrapbooks. I love doing that. It is new and fresh and has given me a new interest in all those old photos.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Star
I love poems like that; funny and poignant both.
ReplyDeleteSo odd that you mentioned photographs today. My entire blog (well, almost all of it) is visual today.
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ReplyDeletehttp://gerardinebaugh.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/sunshine-award-thank-you/
Gerardine Baugh
the whole problem about your idea on the storage of photos is>>>>>>you will never see a photograph of me with that kind of an attitude, i have a hard time doing a visual blog, but love photos of others, took me months to get a photo of sissy
ReplyDeleteI think we all stood here and read the poem as Andy and his friend did; then, Granny set us straight, and we turned to each other and nodded knowingly. Yes, indeedy! We all looked funny at some point or other, or ever.
ReplyDeleteThis little poem teaches us a lesson. I liked it much. Thanks Jinksy for all your sharings.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is lovely and reminds me of the song by Peter, Paul and Mary...Don't Laugh At Me. I always loved that song.......:-) Hugs
ReplyDeleteLovely poem.
ReplyDeleteI also have a wall filled with photos and like you, I have boxes of them that I like to handle.
Nuts in May
In the future people will a laugh at the fashions and hairstyles of today, just as we laugh at those from days gone by.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have to hide our embarrassment when old photos re-appear. And what about the fashions! Did I wear THAT!
ReplyDeleteWhat a charming vignette, reminsicent of the joke's on me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great poem! Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteCute and funny. I wish Granny had captured Andy's red cheeks. :)
ReplyDelete