Her beauty is an expired passport
that once took her many places,
her wrinkled fingers flip back
through its thinning pages.
Stained and bent at the edges,
it tells the tale of men in dark
suits who tattooed their stamps
of approval on her once plush skin,
marking her many arrivals and
departures. She strokes the
photograph behind the plastic
cover–the lips that sipped Sauterne
in sultry French cafes, the cheeks
that chapped in the chalky English
downs, the face that no longer
determines her citizenship.
She places the leathery book
back in her dresser drawer,
packs the last of her things and
ventures out the door,
bound for the domestic terminal,
where flights depart daily, destined
for the deep and undiscovered
landscapes of her own country.
Libby Kurz holds a BS in Nursing and an MFA in Creative Writing. Her work has been published in The Poet’s Billow, Relief Journal, Driftwood Press, and Literary Mama. A veteran of the US Air Force Nurse Corps, she now resides on the coast of Virginia with her family. When she’s not reading, writing, and keeping tabs on her three kids, she works as registered nurse and teaches poetry workshops. She is passionate about a good cup of coffee, bumming on the beach, and finding meaning in the ordinary moments of life. You can find her at www.libbykurz.com.
I love this poem. I felt it all down deep in my gut and my heart. Great writing💕MJ
Thanks, MJ! xo
Libby, this draws me in and leaves me wondering.
Thank you.
Thank you, Joanna 🙂
I love this imagery.
Thanks, Sue!
Wow….this is a beautiful poem. One that speaks volumes. Thank you for writing it, Libby!
Thanks, Barbara! xo
Hi Libby! I agree with everything the people ahead of me wrote. I read your piece numerous times & kept puzzling through your choice of words. Not being an expert of poetry reading but of long life, at 70 I identified with the wrinkled hands & wonderful memories of lovely, exotic and colorful adventures. I wondered if her domestic flight were taking her within herself or perhaps to a new reality closer to heaven. Please write more. Your well chosen words definitely draw a reader in in search of the words behind the words! Her beauty…her passport. Hmmm still puzzling that through. Thank you!
Hey Laura–thanks for sharing your reflections on my piece! I think the domestic flight is kind of a metaphor for the inner journey we take as we age. I hadn’t thought of the journey towards heaven, but I love that connection! Poetry is funny. I actually wrote this poem a while ago and shared it this month because it fit with the theme…but when I originally wrote it, I didn’t really know how it would end. The poem was inspired by my younger years, living overseas and traveling a lot. Once I started writing, the language kind of carried me to unexpected places. A poem has a way of speaking back to me once I’m done writing it. I find new connections, which are definitely open to interpretation. I love hearing the emotions and connections each individual makes as they read a poem. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Love the poem! For me, it speaks of liberty and freedom.
Thank you, Roland. I think it speaks of freedom too…the freedom that comes with age and feeling at home in our own skin. 🙂
“The deep and undiscovered landscapes of her own country.” Yes, this is profound.