Undo & Remove - A different kind of celebration

undo the brushstroke paint over the eyelids,

remove the scarlet ointments of lips,

set free the superfluous grey in hair strands,

it’s time to let your features show your face.

turn on the lights over the deep cut wrinkles,

do grimaces to show the finer folds,

and smile as if your heart is celebrating

the gift you’re grabbing as you live this body up.

time carving traces over faces,

and over shoulders and over our spine,

hands that collect a history of actions

are to be celebrated in bright light.

a celebration of us getting older,

a celebration of another breath,

with calm and warm acceptance of the substance,

of the eroding flesh still taking a stand.