old couple

Hair the color of bleached ebony,
and skin translucent with age,
your forehead creased with lines that could trace
a thousand miles of the winged past,
your bones that crack and could disappear
behind the many folds of your flesh
my hands that never falter to cup your face
and trace the lines on your forehead back to me,
always back to me,
my legs that haste to break the certainty of your fall
to wrap you in my arms,
and console you in your tears because
you have forgotten who you are,
know then this,
that it doesn't matter who i am,
because all i am here for is to love
and forgive us for our lapses and inconsistensies
and all that matters, 'though it may not matter at all to you,
is who you are to me 
this is what whisper the lapping waves
to its muted shores
and what the sun exclaims through
the depths of forest trees
what the winds dare to enclose in its
raptures to that lone, whistling, windmill 
on the hill
and the storm carries with it and drives
hard to the plain, old house by the sea

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this reminds me so much of my folks...and i really appreciate this write...it reflects their later years so well, they were married for 70 years.

[highonwords]

wow, jacob, 70 years seem like forever, congratulations and regards to your folks

[gabrielle]

"The Notebook" immediately came to mind while reading this. Every piece i've read from you brings mixed emotions.

[highonwords]

what mixed emotions exactly, gabrielle? :)

[gabrielle]

burst of joy, love, sadness, pain, longing, regret. :)

[highonwords]

i will take that as a compliment, gabrielle, :)

[B]

Age is beauty in all
Nature and humans
I cant stand many people's company they truly can be insensitive
but the elderly
i can stay around for days
You find so much to their journey written all over their bodies
so kind to everyone
and so polite

love this

[highonwords]

thank you, nisreen, im glad you like the poem