WHAT I HAVE FOUND



Can't believe I'm sixty-two this year,
And leaning closer to the glass, I peer
At the reflection of my throat and face
Where history has made its passage clear.

My feeling-look reveals the hard-won grace
From sorrow; worry has engraved a brace
Of furrows, although many wrinkles show
That times of joy have also left their trace.

But now I smile. It seems not long ago
One pimple spelled the end and what a blow
Eyeglasses were! or just another pound!
Yes, love was something I would never know.

I'm widowed now. Time itself brings profound
Change: image matters less, friendships abound,
Each day, good health and family are dear.
I know myself and like what I have found.

Mary Anne Burkhart
Charlottesville, VA