Change Ifl

When I look into the mirror And stare at my own reflection I feel like a stranger sneering at me. I see the patch of dark around my eyes, With blotchy skin and wrinkles on my face. Once I was a bubbly girl, a chatter box, lost in dreams On fancy's wings, I soared high to touch the skies. Love vibrated every nerve and sinew. Now I feel like everything has changed, Making me wonder how rapid is the flight of time. Agile were my movements, could walk miles. Fatigue I never knew, supple limbs never ached. Then I felt like a triumphant victor. Now I see the stark change, years have brought, And wonder how rapid the onset of old age is. Though my beauty has burnt away, And my bones have a brittle grate, Still, I long to make life a sweet labor of love, And cling to it, waiting for each day, Looking hopeful on what the next day brings. Feb.9.2023 ~ Placed Second~ I Felt Like Poetry Contest Sponsor- Charles Messina