Graying temple
Thinning hair on top
Makeup that doesn’t
Stay where it’s put
Dark circles
Sun spots
Thinning lips
Sagging chin
The mirror wages it’s battle
Once again
Letting me see
The results of my choices
Which were made
Decades ago
When I was young
Soaking up the Florida sun
Trying to reverse the damage
That lingers under the surface
Ever working it’s way out
I torture myself with
Chemical peels
Lasers
And such
Ridiculous treatments
Foolishness
For fools like me
Why do I read Vogue
Why do I still care how I look
Why do I see all my flaws
Clearer than a microscope
E.A. Fussell
03.15.2022
E. A. Fussell 