To Sow the Spirit

pixabay.com

Yes, my looks will fade
and youth — it goes away
But lasting beauty
is the beauty that stays;
the light that remains
when the makeup
comes off
and the body
is not
so supple
and soft,
when wisdom replaces
the face you’ve lost

That is the self
I will sit with
in old age,
should I be given
the gift of old age,
should I be given
that treasure
of vision, the light
of sight — the one
that doesn’t come
from what is seen
on the outside

That is the self
I honor now —
the self I cherish
and grow
because that is the self
I will keep
forever,
the only real seed
I can sow

© Jacqueline Ann 2022