by Persis M. Karim
It isn’t the dark circles
that underscore the eyes
or lines that break out
in latticework at temples
not the deep
grooves that signal
the constancy of smile
or frown
resting on the face,
or heaviness
of chin
bearing the weight
of difficult decades
but the pinch of skin
just below the ears,
like the apricot
whose golden, taut skin
settles into softness
after too much ripening.
Listen to: Signs of Middle Age
Originally posted 2008-09-15 19:07:10.