The painting knows my name

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Dust on the frame
Dust on my name

The gallery's empty, the lights are low
I walk these halls with nowhere to go
The portraits watch me, but they don't see
Just another stranger passing quietly

Then I stop at a painting no one knows
A woman in blue, her head bowed low
The plaque says "Unknown, 1842"
But something in her looks like me

Did her fingers move?

Wait —
Did she turn her head?

The painting knows my name
She's been waiting all this time
No one even knows her name
But somehow she remembers mine

The painting knows my name
She sees what no one else can see
They wrote "Unknown" beneath her face
But she knows everything of me

(Unknown, 1842)
(Unknown, but not to me)

I come back every night at ten
I don't know why I keep coming back again
She steps out slowly from the frame
And says, "I've been calling your name"

Her hands are blue, cracked with age
She says, "You've been hanging on a wall too —
Waiting for someone to look at you."

Wait —
Now I'm moving too

Wait —
Was there a frame around me too?

The painting knows my name
She's been waiting all this time
No one even knows her name
But somehow she remembers mine

The painting knows my name
She sees what no one else can see
They wrote "Unknown" beneath her face
But she knows everything of me

(Unknown, 1842)
(Unknown, but not to me)

What if I've been the painting all along?
Hanging where they put me, keeping still
What if every wall I thought was mine
Was only somewhere I was told to live?

She doesn't say a word this time.
She only takes my hand.

*And I step through.*

The painting knows my name
And now I know it too
No one ever gave her one
So I whisper, "I'll remember you"

The painting knows my name
But there's no frame around me now
They can keep "Unknown" beneath her face —
She isn't unknown to me.

(Unknown, 1842)
(Unknown, but not to me)

Morning in the gallery.
Dust turning gold.

One empty frame.
One plaque below.

"Unknown, 1842."

I touch the name
that isn't there.

Then walk away
with mine.

*(I found me.)*

2029/7500

Dust on the frame Dust on my name The gallery's empty, the lights are low I walk these halls with nowhere to go The portraits watch me, but they don't see Just another stranger passing quietly Then I stop at a painting no one knows A woman in blue, her head bowed low The plaque says "Unknown, 1842" But something in her looks like me Did her fingers move? Wait — Did she turn her head? The painting knows my name She's been waiting all this time No one even knows her name But somehow she remembers mine The painting knows my name She sees what no one else can see They wrote "Unknown" beneath her face But she knows everything of me (Unknown, 1842) (Unknown, but not to me) I come back every night at ten I don't know why I keep coming back again She steps out slowly from the frame And says, "I've been calling your name" Her hands are blue, cracked with age She says, "You've been hanging on a wall too — Waiting for someone to look at you." Wait — Now I'm moving too Wait — Was there a frame around me too? The painting knows my name She's been waiting all this time No one even knows her name But somehow she remembers mine The painting knows my name She sees what no one else can see They wrote "Unknown" beneath her face But she knows everything of me (Unknown, 1842) (Unknown, but not to me) What if I've been the painting all along? Hanging where they put me, keeping still What if every wall I thought was mine Was only somewhere I was told to live? She doesn't say a word this time. She only takes my hand. *And I step through.* The painting knows my name And now I know it too No one ever gave her one So I whisper, "I'll remember you" The painting knows my name But there's no frame around me now They can keep "Unknown" beneath her face — She isn't unknown to me. (Unknown, 1842) (Unknown, but not to me) Morning in the gallery. Dust turning gold. One empty frame. One plaque below. "Unknown, 1842." I touch the name that isn't there. Then walk away with mine. *(I found me.)*

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