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A Stranger In the Mirror

These days, I look into a mirror and ask myself who that person is- that diminished creature- gazing back in puzzlement. A smile garners a goofy grin in return. I don't know that old woman, how'd she get in there? There's no simple formula for what life slings at us in terms of happiness or sorrow, no such thing as a standard share. Until my mother died, the sum of my life's sorrows could press into grandmother's tiny thimble. Why all these unearned lines? Is there some unwritten rule, that every milestone gets carved into your face, like the etchings in granite, after you're planted? Zap! Another line here. Zip! Another sag there. And that woman in the mirror, she's nothing but a bundle of lies..

Copyright © | Year Posted 2014




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Date: 11/19/2014 3:42:00 PM
oh, i can so relate to this one! i try to avoid mirrors as much as possible lately...
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Cona Adams
Date: 11/19/2014 4:35:00 PM
Me, too. Sometimes the vision is actually a shock to my system.
Date: 11/19/2014 8:03:00 AM
I resemble your poem!! Well said . . .
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Cona Adams
Date: 11/19/2014 8:55:00 AM
Eventually, everyone reaches that point, David. I don't remember being aware of that when I was young. Who was it that said, "Youth is wasted on the young."
Date: 11/19/2014 6:51:00 AM
Your poem mirroring a high truth.I enjoyed reading.Thanks for sharing.Regards dear poet Adams.
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Cona Adams
Date: 11/19/2014 7:08:00 AM
Thank you, Safa. In spite of all the negative aspects of aging, there are many benefits. Retirement gives ample time to pursue personal interests. Bill and I have joined local writers' groups, and poetry societies.

Book: Shattered Sighs