Reconnaissance. Poem by Michael Walker

Reconnaissance.

J'etais sur le point de dire
Que je t'ai reconnue de ta vieille
photo. Et c'est vrai.
Mais te voici maintenant
aux cheveux blancs et la peau fanee
et moins agile de ton pas
et une vapeur qui flotte sur ta memoire
et une rigidite en tes suppositions
renfrognees et une liste
de malheurs qui s'augmentent. Donc je
regarde encore cette vieille photographie
et je ne te reconnais
point.

-'Recognition'. Shane McCauley. Bayswater WA. From 'The Mozzie', Vol.25, Issue 1. Editors Ron Heard and Bill Henderson. Brisbane, Qld.

POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
The poet talks to a woman who is getting older physically and in habit. At first he recognised her from the photograph, but now her hair is white, her skin withered, her memory less sure, and with a list of complaints, so that now he does not recognise her at all.
The poem is about ageing and how a person changes from an earlier photo.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Close
Error Success