I’ve been in a reflective mood these past couple of days, so I’ve cast a few glances in the mirror. For obvious reasons, news stories of death and destruction are reminders of my own good fortune. Unfortunately, it’s at someone else’s expense, and I naturally want to help. In addition, after a weekend of selfish gourmet dining and gluttonous wine-tasting, I felt a need to make some donations. When we got back, I also noticed that our 100-year old schnauzer was moving even slower with painful, arthritic steps. It’s always a reminder of my own mortality. As I watch her get older, I often wonder how longer she’ll be with us and what can be done to provide any comfort. She has certainly not lost her appetite, which is the only positive sign. I’m thinking about adding some nutritional support to help with her joint health. I’ve recently started experimenting with Glucosamine Chondroitin. Aging can be a cruel reality, and I do whatever I can to ignore the inevitable. 

When you travel, you often see yourself in a different light than at home. Hotel rooms are often dark and their mirrors never flattering, so you notice the bags under your eyes from overnight flights, early morning meetings, rental car hassles, and strange-bed stress. New wrinkles, sagging skin, and grey hair are all signs of aging, magnified by exhaustion. Not to mention, the bad-hair mornings after a night of tossing-and-turning in an unfamiliar setting. I initially took notice, but then quickly adjusted, my mind somehow showing me the face that I wanted to see in the mirror.  It’s been a quiet day at home today, and I was bored enough to write another poem:

Reflection…noitcelfeR

When I look in the mirror,
I see yesterday.
When wrinkles and gray,
Didn’t look back my way.

It’s not a reflection,
Of the real me.
I’m not getting older,
It just can’t be.

My imagination,
Must be kind.
My eyes afraid,
Of what they’ll find.

Don’t notice the darkness,
Under my eyes.
I refuse to age,
So, I see only lies.

Sometimes my body,
Doesn’t agree.
I tell it I’m better,
Than I used to be.

But I can’t ignore,
The aches and pains.
Or my left knee,
When it rains.

I prefer to ignore,
The inevitable end.
On being oblivious,
I often depend.

Others are changing,
But I’m not at their pace.
I can feel it in my bones,
But can’t see it in my face.

My mind’s eye shows,
I haven’t aged a bit.
The longer I live,
The younger I get.

Copyright 2018 johnstonwrites.com