Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Theme Thursday - Wrinkles

Standing before the mirror at twenty-five
he furrowed and unfurrowed his smooth, flawless brow.
"If my forehead had lines," he thought to himself,
"I would appear more wise and people will treat me with more respect."

He laughed heartily at the mirror,
carefully examining the edges of his eyes.
"With laugh lines people will know
my sense of humor is rich
and will perceive me a joy to be around,"
he said leaning in for a closer look,
cursing his baby skin and wishing he looked older.

Now well into his fifties,
he gazes at his stoic reflection
daring not to move a muscle
for fear yet another line
may crease his aging appearance.
His face relaxed
in an effort to halt the aging process,
keep wrinkles at bay
and recapture a fleeting youth.
He pines for the days
when his face was smooth
and his eyes were not perched on fleshy pillows.
When the only wrinkles he wore
were on his clothing
and hadn't migrated to his face.

22 comments:

Julie said...

We all pine for out lost youth, don't we? However, it is good to be alive for the short time we are allocated and if part of the gig is wrinkles, then so be it.

Nice verse. I enjoyed it. Thank you.

Caty said...

nice writing...I often wonder if I would go back given the chance?? I might; I'm just not sure how far back.

Brian Miller said...

oh but they add so much character...nice one monkey!

Coffeypot said...

It's a losing cause unless you Botox yourself silly.

Tess Kincaid said...

Oh man, oh man, did this one hit home with me, especially the perched on fleshy pillows part! Really nice piece, Monks.

Kris McCracken said...

Gewrinclods can be cute.

The Bipolar Diva said...

Nerve hit here! All I can say for myself is thank goodness for Botox!

anthonynorth said...

Loved the ending to that. That's quite a migration :-)
You'll find mine here.

DougVernX said...

With wrinkles bring wisdom.

Deb said...

I agree with Crazyass. Even gray hair brings that "wisdom" look. But wanting to be young again is normal, but think about it, it would never be the same now.

Beautiful write up! :)

Enchanted Oak said...

I wonder if you were down here in CA looking in my mirror by accident.
I know this feeling you describe. It is a feeling of wonder: Where the heck did THIS FACE come from? How can this be, when I feel about 38 inside?
We've both put a lot of miles on these faces...half a friggin century! I suppose they've been well earned.
Nice work, Monkey Man.

Leeuna said...

Beautiful prose. I love the line "When the only wrinkles he wore were on his clothing and hadn't migrated to his face."

Powerful writing. Great take on Theme Thursday.

Inside our hands, outside our hearts said...

MM,

You have written well here. It truly is a story inside a story. Wonderful.

T

moondustwriter said...

good thing he had a baby face

Nice 55 Bri

Harnett-Hargrove said...

and hadn't migrated to his face ... what a image. Great hit. -j

Adoption of Jane said...

chills how awesome this is!

PattiKen said...

Someone should tell him that wrinkles on a man add character and are sexy. Maybe I just did. ;-)

Claudya Martinez said...

Why can't we ever focus on the now and enjoy it?

Cheryl said...

I love the visuals this created for me. Beautifully written.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

amazing poem!

Anonymous said...

But don't people respect him more?

Katherine said...

But what stories those lines could tell Monkey, if only they had a voice! Each line is like a map to a persons soul.
Every funny joke, every sweet kiss, every tear shed, every ounce of worry, every bit of pain felt, every shared happy moment & joy!
I believe they tell a lot about a persons character!
I think it is all in our perception!