She wakes and walks to the mirror and stares at herself too long
Her face looks back with questioning eyes
"When did you grow old and weary?" she seems to ask herself
She doesn't know
Her eyes are tired and her face is lined
She takes one more glance and then plunges her face into the cold basin below
She holds her breath and feels the icy water stinging her cheeks
Like little knives trying to wake her up but cannot
She is tired
When she remerges she is different
She dries her face and puts on her lotion
She dots concealer under her eyes and rubs it in
Swipes mascara on her eyelashes so they don't stay hidden
Brushes bronzer on her cheeks and gloss on her lips
She is made
She goes about her day and acts confident
She smiles and is engaging when happy
She scowls and confronts when angered
She creases her forehead and cries when dismayed
She raises her eyebrows and gasps when in shock
She does it all wearing her mask
She is made-up
But underneath she is undone
Her veneer eaten away throughout the day
Her gloss gone by lunch
Her blush by the afternoon
Her mascara smeared by dinner
Until she stands, again, in front of the mirror
Looking at herself in quiet contemplation
Wondering who she is
Who is she?
She pumps soap onto her hands and lathers her face
She moves methodically
Cheeks to nose, nose to forehead, back down and to her chin
She bends her head over the sink and splashes water onto her face
She grabs the towel and wipes the day away
She stares at herself in the mirror again
She sees the woman she has become
She sees the girl she once was
She sees them both in her eyes
She is torn
She walks to her bed
She stares at her husband
She climbs in and closes her eyes and says a prayer
She rolls over and touches his arm and he grabs her hand
She drifts to sleep and begins to dream
And in her dreams she understands
She sees herself
And herself in him
They are the same
They are one
She loves him
He loves her
She is loved
© Erica Day McCarthy, San Antonio, TX - 29 September 2018
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