Years Gone By
In a corner of my mind
I see myself as I was—
A young, vibrant woman
Firm breasts, trim figure
Shapely legs and dew-kissed skin
Young men flirting, wanting;
Those years of promise
Eyes filled with hope
And heart full of dreams
Strong of limb and mind
Graceful and fluid in motion
I thought, foolishly, it would
Always be this way.
In the mirror I see truth
The years have not been kind
Frail body bent and graceless
Racked with age and pain
That long ago ceased to stir
Any man's blood or heart
Oh, they are kind, so kind
To this sweet old lady
But friendship and pity
Are little comfort on
Long and lonely nights
When memories rise
Through the seas of time
And the haze from pills
That dilute reality.
But somewhere deep inside
Of a smaller, colder world
The yearning remains
And as salty tears trace
The furrowed lines of my face
I remember myself as I was—
A young woman with dreams
Young and strong and free
Days and nights of promise
Now dimmed, but not extinguished;
And I know she still lives on
In a corner of my mind.
© J C Edwards
Essence of Woman Collection
Image Source Google Images Labelled for Reuse