The Woman In the Mirror

I look into a mirror most days And wonder who she could be? That strange gray haired lady Looking back at me with glasses On her eyes and wrinkles on Her face. She’s a total stranger to me I remember the sparkle of eyes The clear, smooth skin That silly grin I remember the dark hair Streaked with highlights Not graying roots Beneath dye I remember a joyful smile That spoke of excitement Sense of enlightenment But she is decidedly Old, lonely, accosted With failures She’s a stranger in the mirror Too old to be the real me The girl so happy and free When did the years go by Leaving me with that smile That says I have aged More than I can say Fiftyish has its way I say, let fifty give away The next few years with grace That prays for a sense of purpose In the ways that I take into stride The sixties, seventies… all my life And death… has no true bite Because whatever happens However much I change I have Jesus, the way, the truth, The life… His friendship Assures me that I have Everything I need Everything there is The chance to go to heaven Gray hair and wrinkles, too He loves all His children Even those who know They’ve passed the age of Looking in the mirror with hope Of looking back at a young lady again