Have You Seen Jennifer?

Based on a real event

‘Have you seen Jennifer?’ was all around town

Back in ‘78 - she never was found

She was last seen working her paper round

A blue summer dress and a little white pullover

 

"Jennifer, Jennifer, what has become of her?"

 

She rode down the lane on a bright, sunny day

The country air sweet with the odour of hay

Her deliveries stopped where her bicycle lay

That’s all that was left, no need for a coroner

 

"Jennifer, Jennifer, what had become of her?"

 

Bill-posted schoolgirl, all freckles and grin

Ubiquitous pleas that would never give in

‘Have you seen Jennifer?’ - all pale and thin?

She’s buried somewhere, someone said, they’ll discover her

 

"Jennifer, Jennifer, what would become of her?"

 

Her basket of news held the public’s mind

Now her as the headlines, and words, oh, so kind

With collective held breath as the nation pined

If she’s gone, will her family ever recover?

 

"Jennifer, Jennifer, what good could come of her?"

 

Her father, in search of her, called house-to-house

The fire of her loss he could never douse

With the tears of his longing - My sweet little mouse!

You know her, you’ve seen her - what have they done with her?

 

"Jennifer, Jennifer, what will they find of her?"

 

But they never did find her, not even a hair

All the posters long-gone, just her memory to care

She’d be forty-odd now, but she’s rotting somewhere

And the playground-child sings, without ever knowing her:

 

“Jennifer, Jennifer, what did become of her?”

Reviews

[PoisonedFlower]

This is amazing! I love poems that tell stories. And this one tells the stories of so many families who are missing a loved one--a child, a mother, anyone. Spending all those years knowing they're probably dead but never having the closure of knowing the full truth. You captured that!

[Tori Adams]

Wow! I don't normally find a poem that I love so much, but this poem is truly flawless. Bravo!

[Truly Ross-Wisehart]

This is chilling and fantastic all at once. So clever, the rhyming of the first three lines, then the last line of each stanza with each other.

There was a girl named Molly, not too far from here, who disappeared quite similarly. This really could have been written about her.

Just, excellent, D.

~True

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

This is a very sad piece. So sad that many who read this will personally know the pain written in these lines. Well Written

[A.Lee]

This is really good. I like your ability to take a true event and turn it into a work of art. Good for both awareness and sympathy. I really liked the repetition of that one line as well as your rhyme scheme. Well written.

[MissWordSmith]

awesome write here! I love the rhyming scheme, so original. i like the way the first two lines rhyme, and then the fourth and fifth with the 3rd like a bridge in between..
the idea too is just so original and creative, i had all these perfect images going through my head, could imagine everything so well.
a truly nice write .
keep it up!

[Nameless]

Good job. Keep up the writes, Devon!