Forgotten

It was a picture I found....
    Perplexing to look upon,
Like finding no sound,
    When playing a favorite song.

I could tell by the style,
    By its touch and its feel,
This was someone I knew,
    Someone who was real.

I strain for some memory,
    Some fragment or clue,
To who she was,
     If it had been true.

It seems I saw love,
    And warmth in her eyes,
But with sinking sadness,
     Came to realize,
It was not love,
    And joy I did see,
But a terrible loneliness,
    Projected to me.

Oh! Who was she?!!!
    How can I not know?
Whatever came of her?
    What failed to grow?
Many times, I tried to recall,
    This beautiful Lady,
In stature so small.

    But cleaning out Drawers,
And making space,
    To the flames let it fall,
To ashes...no trace.

    No, none at all.

But just 'ere the last,
    To the Fire did succumb,
My own sinking Heart,
    With awareness was numb,
There on the edge,
    In ink once black,
A date was inscribed,
    And it all came back,
Weeping eyes were filled with tears,
    For it had not been many years,
The shadow in the ash did say,
    I knew her only yesterday.