I look in the mirror and who do I see
A wise old lady looking at me
How do I know she is wise?
It’s that knowing look deep in her eyes!
But who she is I do not know
And where I wonder did the other one go?
The one whose eyes were always so clear
Looking back at me, when I glanced in the mirror
Smiling with ease, dressing with flair
Painting her lips, or brushing her hair?
“ Gone” the old lady’s eyes say
“The girl, then the woman, they both went away
From now on, it’s just me you’ll see”
Surely not, I protest, how can that be?
I search the mirror trying to see,
the girl, then the woman who for so long was me.
Something is different about that look of mine,
the changes are subtle, hard to define.
Feature by feature, my face seems the same
But the mouth is all wrong; perhaps lipstick’s to blame.
I apply lip liner, then a shiny gloss too
But the lips still don’t look right, my smile’s all askew.
Then I see what has happened, no doubt a surprise
When the crows missed the edge of my eyes,
They slipped off my nose,
and had to grab onto my lips with their toes
Leaving behind the track of their feet
And me with a smile that no longer is sweet.
See, says the old lady, what I told you is true
The woman and girl are gone, I'm the new "you"
We have no need for the mirror, you and I
We are free just to be, new things we must try.
Now we can savor the sweet fruits of time
Listen to music, play with rhyme
Sing in the morning, dance in the eve
Take joy in the moment, and try not to grieve.
From all things petty, we now are set free
letting laughter win out, over "poor me".
We may live and love gladly, not counting the cost
Knowing once given, love never is lost,
that a day spent in giving, brings its own gift
a heart full of gladness, with power to lift
any cloud that would hide joy from our sight
bringing peace to our slumbers
as we lay down for the night.
The girl and woman may be here for a day
But a spirit that’s bright does not fade away.
