Ephemera

[pjthompson]

Somebody knows who that is—
or they did, once,
and maybe they told their kids,
or maybe they did not,
before they themselves became
just another old photograph
of strangers.

Faint pencil markings on the back
sometimes give cryptic clues:
“Mother at the lake.”
But whose mother, which lake?
“Baby Jean, 4 months old”—
and you realize if Baby Jean
is still alive she’d be very old.

Ephemera,
handled with such confidence,
believing someone will always know
what and who and where.
Inconceivable that someday
they will all be gone
and we will, too,
that even these subtle clues
are ephemera, meaningful
to a few and only for a time
before time and the people it holds
slip into the past
and are gone.

—PJ Thompson
May 16, 2022

Comments

[mount_oregano]

Yes, someone knew...

[pjthompson]

Yep. I've been running into this a lot lately going through my mom's old photos.

Such Confidence

[wayfaringwordhack]

Yes, yes, yes. Having perused the ephemera of families on both sides of the Atlantic, I that Somebody is an hard-to-lay-hands-on individual. I hardly every print out photos (that is a bemoaning topic for another time), but when I do, I try to go heavy on the details in the inscription: First, Middle, Last Name and Age (of all people, if known); Place; and (Day)Month and Year.

Re: Such Confidence

[pjthompson]

My mom and I started that process in the last years but so many pictures! She always liked taking pictures and there was so much we never got to. Most times she'd know who people were but sometimes even she was stumped. Fortunately, I have a friend who is inspired to make paintings out of old pictures so I sometimes send the mystery shots off to her. And there's also a market for them in antique stores, but I probably won't sell any. It feels wrong, somehow. But I suppose it would be more wrong to throw them in the trash. A dilemma.

Re: Such Confidence

[asakiyume]

So cool about the friend who is a painter and uses these.

Re: Such Confidence

[pjthompson]

Yes! They are really good, interesting paintings, too. Are you on instagram? If so, you can check them out at lynnheinzart. She's still working on her website.

Re: Such Confidence

[pjthompson]

DUH. Of course you're on Instagram. I'm liking your stuff all the time. Brain no work so good.

Re: Such Confidence

[asakiyume]

You beat me to it! Not the duh part, just the, sure I am! I'm liking your boxes there ^_^

Re: Such Confidence

[pjthompson]

I know you are! I felt so dumb for not remembering.

[queenoftheskies]

Beautiful.

And so true.

[pjthompson]

Thanks.

[asakiyume]

This is beautiful, sad, and true.

[pjthompson]

Thank you.