At Carry On Tuesday, they got us started with a line from an ABBA song: “I saw it in the mirror/I saw it in my face…”
A different take, probably, but the up side of depression is that you see yourself in different ways on different days. This morning, my mirror offered me what follows. Tomorrow I’ll be 23 at heart again, I hope! Amy
In The Mirror
I saw it
In the mirror, I saw it
In my face, the lines
small nicks around my lips
the ditch between my brows
just south of silver streaks
I saw it
In the mirror, I saw it
In my face, the years I
have traveled struggled ached limped through
now etched and spray painted
in my face, on my head
I saw it
In the mirror, I saw it
On my body, the sags
the planes once firm
the skin once smooth
now giving way to time
I saw it
In the mirror, I saw it
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
Debbie
Oooohhh. That’s what I saw too. And exactly why I stay away from the mirror. 🙂 Thank you, Amy. This was written in a wonderful way . . .that Amy way.
Sharp Little Pencil
“That Amy way”? Hmmm…. I’m thinking… well, at least it’s in a decipherable language, LOL. As for the mirror, I actually did an exercise of going in and looking through my 3x mirror, brutal…! 😉
Roger Green
But I’d NEVER want to be 23 again. Seriously.
Sharp Little Pencil
23 only in my heart, babe. 23 in real life was a disaster for me, too!! Thanks, you made me laugh. Amy
Lisa
Very nice! My solution – I just don’t look in the mirror! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Sharp Little Pencil
Yeah, I squint a lot! Thanks so much, Lisa. Amy
Kim Nelson
Me too!
Some days I embrace the aging and feel grateful for the accompanying grace and wisdom. Other days I just feel old and ugly. 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
I’ll cop to old, but ugly? NEVER! I earned every wrinkle and grey hair… hope you feel the same, really! You are a beautiful person, Kim. 🙂 A
Sherry Blue Sky
Ho, I saw the same thing, and it is even worse when perched atop a Thyroid Neck. Ack! Someone needs to invent a sock for necks!!!! Good one, Amy!
Sharp Little Pencil
They have a sock for necks: It’s called a turtleneck sweater… just in case you don’t get the JCP catalog, LOL. Thanks, honey! A
Amanda
I see this in the Mirror everyday! I can empathize and sympathize! BTW the poem form you liked was called a loop and there is a link to the site that shares all kinds of forms on the post if your interested.
Have a great week!
Sharp Little Pencil
Amanda, thanks for the identification of the form. A loop-de-loop is more like it, with my brain!
As for the mirror, our name is Legion! Thanks again, and peace to you and yours, Amy
Gloria
My mirror has those same images! 😉 (…though my hairdresser does well at hiding the silver streaks) Enjoyed this!!
http://got-2-write.blogspot.com/2011/03/reflection.html
Sharp Little Pencil
Gloria, funny, we all have them. Just saw your post (thanks for link) and understand this story goes deeper for you. Blessings, Amy
Carl
Amy, very interesting piece (is there ever a time when I can’t say that?), and a great take on the prompt. Really crisp images. Forceful form.
At the same time, I’m left wanting a little more. What sort of reaction does the poet have to the wrinkles and sags, to the memories of ‘limped through years’ that come welling up? Seeing a little more emotion in the text itself, be it satisfaction, resignation, anger, self-pity, apathy, or acceptance, would fill this out, to my eye.
In any case, thanks for putting yourself out there like you always do. Your strengths are as strong as ever.
uponthewingsofnight
Very well done, Amy! I plan on using this same prompt and see where it takes me. Brett