In the Mirror

More grey splashes against dark curls.
Cheeks sag and skin spots darken.
Aging creeps in with
Crow’s feet around my eyes.

I am unafraid!
I tell the mirror who reflects the weighted me
Pushing back the sagging body,
Suck in!
stand on your toes,
striking a thinning pose.

This is living!
You should be proud!
Age with grace.
Be positive, and kind.
You’re resilient!
Proud.
Honored by the existence
your body represents.

But in the mirror
Behind closed doors
Where I see my cheeks sag, and crows feet spread
I wonder what could have been
If my skin stayed young and my body toned
And the marking grays denied my age.

My humanity shows
And endless days of fleeting youth
Reminders of what was
Turn to the future of what is.
And then I hold her peppered hair.
Caress her softening rolls
This resilient body,
Whose weight my hands hold
Far from perfect
Fantastically flawed.

Remind her how she’s housed and held
Each journey of the soul.

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Grace Brindle is a leader birthed in the silent fires of the purity movement and the height of evangelical conferences and mission trips. In the Northwoods on the land of the Anishinaabe, Grace has attended, cared for, and witnessed the birthing of rich and deep stories.Never considering herself an artist but a firm believer that everyone is creative, Grace began the journey of writing a poem a day in 2021. With the mantra, “We can only go with others as far as we are willing to go ourselves,” she learned much about herself during her year of poetry. Grace attempts to resiliently hold creation in its poetic beauty at www.gracebrindle.com.