Silver threads woven through my hair
where once I defied my true age
an etching of lines on a weathered face
leaving a map of where I’ve been.
For a pandemic raging and a cancer in my breast
have done their damage and left me
-naked, for this disease changed, rearranged
a self-confessed charlatan who tried to age with grace
washed away all the masks, left no trace
-exposed stark beauty under skin.
And now my words, my thoughts, my feelings
all elements of my entire being
– coming from a different place
for pain peels away layers of self-preservation
leaving a yearning for a simple life again
to bask in the sun’s warmth caressing my face
and not think of battles raging within.
dVerse Poets Pub: PoeticsSelf Portrait– Come and Take a Selfie!
The Reluctant Poet 