Just A Face
(from Boyhood Tales)

Surprising what you see
in a face.
Eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, chin…
mouth.
Everyone has them,
all surrounded by a frame of hair.
A blemish here,
a wrinkle there,
too much make up,
or not enough,
sparkling eyes,
or maybe just a few;
just a face,
a place where lifetimes reside.
So many wrinkles
covered her gray-hair framed
countenance,
it looked like windswept desert sands,
motionless rivulets of time.
Deep set sparkling eyes laughed
while holding one in warm embrace.
No makeup touched this face,
no lipstick moistened sun dried lips,
but my the wisdom that wordlessly spoke
from just this face.
I saw her once,
in passing only,
but time has kept her face in mind,
and tried I have to live my life
the way her face
said it was meant to be.
She's gone now,
I'm sure,
departed this earth,
but it's surprising what you see
in a face,
and hers will live
eternally.

w. james beard, jr.
© February 2001