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Description
What do you see, what do you see,
what are you thinking when you're looking at me?
A crabby old woman, not very wise,
uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes.

I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still,
as I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother,
brothers and sisters, who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet,
dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet.
A bride soon at twenty - my heart gives a leap,
remembering the vows that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now, I have young of my own
who need me to guide and a secure happy home.
A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast,
bound to each other with ties that should last.

At forty my young sons have grown and are gone,
but my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.
At fifty once more babies play round my knee,
again we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead;
I look at the future, I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing young of their own,
and I think of the years and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old woman and nature is cruel;
'tis jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart,
there is now a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,
and now and again my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys, I remember the pain,
and I'm loving and living life over again.

I think of the years - all too few, gone too fast
and accept the stark fact that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, open and see,
not a crabby old woman; look closer - see ME!

This is my entry to the Remember Me contest over at #PortraitClub The theme is an interpretation of the phrase 'Remember Me' my thoughts on this was to not be made invisible in old age and hopefully, this poem (which is not mine but I edited it a little, the original author is unknown) sums up what I was trying to say with my drawing

Materials used:
A4 Mellotex
Graphite - 2H, 2B, 4B, 6B
Erasers
Blue Tac
Tortillion
Time: Approx 16 hours

Print available in my shop - www.etsy.com/shop/BrighteyesAr…

Ref - A random clock face and an image from Erika Barker www.erikabarker.com/photojourn… This very talented and lovely photographer allowed me to draw one of her photos.

Also a huge big thank you to =SvenjaLiv who helped with adding the cracked window effect (to show age and damage and imperfection) to my reference, she put up with my pathetic ineptitude in anything digital, so this one is dedicated to you Svenja

Thank you so much for looking and bless you if you read this far
Paula

WIPs -

EDIT: Thank you so much to *PutYourBraveFaceOn for suggesting this drawing for a DD and to ^Astralseed for being good enough to choose it. Thank you

FURTHER EDIT: It seems that I have offended by not putting the link to the poem in my comments. I clearly stated it was not mine and the author unknown, but to save any further confusion, I will repeat it here. IT IS NOT MY POEM AND THE AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN! I googled and the poem can be found on many many websites, this is the link the first I came across if anyone wants to see www.poeticexpressions.co.uk/PO…

Description
What do you see, what do you see,
what are you thinking when you're looking at me?
A crabby old woman, not very wise,
uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes.

I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still,
as I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother,
brothers and sisters, who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet,
dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet.
A bride soon at twenty - my heart gives a leap,
remembering the vows that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now, I have young of my own
who need me to guide and a secure happy home.
A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast,
bound to each other with ties that should last.

At forty my young sons have grown and are gone,
but my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.
At fifty once more babies play round my knee,
again we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead;
I look at the future, I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing young of their own,
and I think of the years and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old woman and nature is cruel;
'tis jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart,
there is now a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,
and now and again my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys, I remember the pain,
and I'm loving and living life over again.

I think of the years - all too few, gone too fast
and accept the stark fact that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, open and see,
not a crabby old woman; look closer - see ME!

This is my entry to the Remember Me contest over at #PortraitClub The theme is an interpretation of the phrase 'Remember Me' my thoughts on this was to not be made invisible in old age and hopefully, this poem (which is not mine but I edited it a little, the original author is unknown) sums up what I was trying to say with my drawing

Materials used:
A4 Mellotex
Graphite - 2H, 2B, 4B, 6B
Erasers
Blue Tac
Tortillion
Time: Approx 16 hours

Print available in my shop - www.etsy.com/shop/BrighteyesAr…

Ref - A random clock face and an image from Erika Barker www.erikabarker.com/photojourn… This very talented and lovely photographer allowed me to draw one of her photos.

Also a huge big thank you to =SvenjaLiv who helped with adding the cracked window effect (to show age and damage and imperfection) to my reference, she put up with my pathetic ineptitude in anything digital, so this one is dedicated to you Svenja

Thank you so much for looking and bless you if you read this far
Paula

WIPs -

EDIT: Thank you so much to *PutYourBraveFaceOn for suggesting this drawing for a DD and to ^Astralseed for being good enough to choose it. Thank you

FURTHER EDIT: It seems that I have offended by not putting the link to the poem in my comments. I clearly stated it was not mine and the author unknown, but to save any further confusion, I will repeat it here. IT IS NOT MY POEM AND THE AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN! I googled and the poem can be found on many many websites, this is the link the first I came across if anyone wants to see www.poeticexpressions.co.uk/PO…