The Scars of Time

Poetry

Photo by Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
— Samuel Ullman

Age doesn’t always show
the trials we’ve been through
or all that we’ve learned to do,
nor can appearances explain
our inner struggles and pain.

Years don’t measure where we’ve been
or the strength we carry within.
And things aren’t always as they seem,
so I walk through life with empathy
and never judge by what my eyes see.

I care for seniors every day,
and their courage blows me away.
Their strength shines through
even though their bodies
don’t work like they used to.
I see the hidden twinkles
underneath their wrinkles.
Every crease and every line
marks their trail through time.

Yet the thought of my own fate
throws me into an uneasy state.
Life is full of twists and cracks,
and it’s easy to slip off track.
I feel a…