…upon my soul

Standing at the edge of the unknown
the uncertainty of time, a ruthless foe
my face in the mirror, a constant reminder
of an ebbing beauty, that brings to mind other losses
so many, too many to catalogue
I feel a warmth in my heart
and see it slowly creeping across my brow
shining from deep within my eyes
all that has passed and all that has been lost
is not too painful to recall
the lines that mark my features
with each searching thought, deepen
and appear in places that reveal their origins
the lines of pain and pleasure too
carved over decades of living and love
without them my canvas would be blank
devoid of heart and memory
these scars of life, these history books
I read them all as they appear
like precious flowers that bloom for just a day
then quietly pass away
and I hold on to them as precious jewels
forever tattooed upon my soul
© Ann Bagnall