I’m nearly old, she said… to no one,
Before the mirror,
Tracing a line down her cheek
With a fingertip,
Lost in memory.
She sighs.
A chill; her soul shivers .
This is the face that boys
Longed to kiss, she remembers,
Remembering the power of it.
Yet now the boys are men, although not as many.
The face that felt the chubby caress of
Her children’s hands,
The face she could depend upon.
A breeze ruffles the curtains,
Touches the flower beside the mirror.
Her eye caresses the exquisite
Design of it,
Built for
A moment
Of perfect purpose.
“You are nearly old, too,” she says, tracing the line of the
Petal with her finger.
She smiles, newly aware…
All things must pass.
All things are temporary.
HemmingPlay 
You captured how I have felt many times upon looking in the mirror. Youth and beauty are so fleeting.
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The imagery in this poem is powerful. Thanks for sharing.
#SeniorSalon
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Ah…to be only nearly old! I know that feeling, and yet the thought that numbers never lie. Lovely contrast with the flower…lovely poem. Jo
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I love this poem it is so evocative of the beauty’s descent into old age. I am lucky I never had a boyfriend as a teenager and thought I was so ugly I had to stay inside in the dark. It’s been all uphill from there and I’m much more attractive in my middle age than I was as a teenager, partly because I have recovered from all my mental health and addiction problems. I have never felt happier or more fulfilled. I just need to wean myself off Mr Wrongs and my life will be perfect…
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Perfect. Just perfectly poem-ed. (And I know ‘poemed isn’t a verb, but wouldn’t it be nice if it was??)
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Lovely poem.
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Thank you.
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I am nearly old… the face the boys longed to kiss looks a lot like my Mum’s when I look in the mirror!
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Oh, if we only knew then what we know now…..😏
And I’ve got another piece sloshing around in my head about this idea of celebrating the temporary. I hate the idea that everything is in the process of living out its appointed span. But that leaves the richness of the moment, and yet how easy it is to waste it.
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I’ll look forward to that. Celebrating now is a great concept but Society just doesn’t seem to be there yet.
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What a great point and a great piece. (Thanks BB for re-blogging).
The funny thing is, all the times our parents tried to guide us and we HAD to fall down on our own. Now as parents ourselves we live the cycle from the opposite side. We try to do exactly what you said….That is, know then what we know we know now and we try to “fix” it through our children. Not in a bad or controlling way, but in a caring and loving way. And yet they will make the same mistakes we did, but that is the way it is. Love this topic. Thank you.
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Reblogged this on The Migraine Chronicles and commented:
I am Nearly old.
This is simply beautiful 🙂
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Thank you, darlin’. 😘
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