Who is this stranger that I see
In the mirror looking back at me
Where is the girl of long ago
Whose youth and vigor pleased me so



Eyes so clear and brilliant blue
Have lost the sparkle I once knew
Drooping eyelids and thinning hair
Replaced the freshness that once was there



Skin that sparkled as the morning dew
Now fraught with wrinkles and age spots too
Aching joints and a back that's bent
Make me wonder where the years all went



A body once strong and finely honed
Now creaks with fragility of bone
Sagging muscles and dimming sight
A bladder that stays awake all night



A mind now forgetful still recalls the time
When love and youth were so sublime
But the aging that made my youth depart
Can ne'er erase what's in my heart



Kathleen McCoy EldridgeŠ
January 16, 2008
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