…for just a day
Standing at the edge of the unknown
the uncertainty of time
a ruthless foe
you grieve for what you’ve lost
your face in the mirror
the reminder of an ebbing beauty
brings to mind other losses
so many, too many to catalogue
you feel a smile in your heart
and see it creep across your brow
and shine from deep within your eyes
all that has passed
and all that has been lost
is not too painful to recall
the lines that mark your features
that with each searching thought
deepen and appear
in places that reveal their origins
those lines of pain and pleasure too
carved over decades of living
and love
without them
your canvas would be blank
devoid of heart and memory
these scars of life
these history books
you read them all as they appear
and you hold to them
as precious jewels
for they are written
in your heart
like poppies
that bloom for just a day
then pass away
© Ann Bagnall 2014
