On Seeing Images On The Internet Poem by Francis Duggan

On the internet when I look at photos from my Hometown some familiar faces I see
All of the people I grew up with they seem to be ageing like me
Yet by their faces I recognize them though they too are showing life's wear and tear
They stayed at home and raised their children whilst I went off to live elsewhere.

Some of the people I grew up with never had children whilst others are the Grandparents of today
But with me they share one thing in common old age from us not far away
We once had many things in common though young people as they age apart seem to grow
To them now I would seem a stranger and not the one they once did know.

We never thought that we would grow old or thought of life's journey ahead
Some of the children I grew up with are now numbered amongst the dead
We thought we would stay young forever but time of us all does take care
Few who are well into their fifties are blessed with a full head of hair.

Images of some of those I grew up with on the internet though young none of us ever stay
I recognize them by their faces though time has left them looking gray
Since I am one of those who migrated I envy them their sense of place
And I do feel a bit nostalgic at the image of a familiar face.