me...now

The mirror doesn’t lie
Not unless the viewer manifests a falsehood

My face is still my own but I see age there
Subtly sneaking in, creasing the corners, dimming the gloss

My smile is mine but I recognize sincerity there
I laugh now when I truly want to and not when I feel I must

My eyes are still bright but they too show signs of passing time
They’ve seen so much, they’ve cried so many tears yet they miraculously open every morning and greet each day with gratitude

My body has begun that dance, that slow groove of aching joints and labored movement
I marvel at the quantity of frailties I discover
What once was smooth and shapely, soft and supple is now …less so
Vanity really is a difficult task
I’ve become increasingly enamored with comfort

In my mirror I see my scars, my life’s tutorials my memos to myself still resonate, the list of do’s and don’ts, yeses and no’s are etched into every small line, every callous, every pore, but I’ve lived

I look at those who haven’t reached to where I am and I remember what the time is like
I don’t envy, I’m content that I’ve had my time
I look to those who are well beyond where I am now
I pray to have their grace in my journey
I strive to enjoy my now

I’m happy to say that were it all to dissolve tomorrow, were it all to fade away, vanish in a quick puff of smoke- the feel of my skin, the stories in my scars, the rise and fall of every new curve of my ever evolving body, the creases that frame my eyes, the width of my smile
They all tell the story that I’ve lived
And I’ve lived well.