Beauty spots
don't look so beautiful
after sixty years of hanging out on your face.
Elastic skin
might not snap back so fast
after half a century of stretching and pulling and tearing.
Jupiter eyes
most times seem to dull
after decade upon decade of seeing things they'd rather not.
But if anybody bothered to look
And I'm not saying I have
(my skin's still got plenty of snap left)
But if anybody bothered to look
Maybe the sparkle our grandparent's eyes had
in those old black and white photos
from when they still road dinosaurs to work
and lived in log cabins with no internet
maybe that sparkle
didn't really leave
even though we haven't seen it
since Aunt Betty passed
and the house got forclosed on
and grandma had to retire
maybe it's still there
even though grandpa can't feed himself
and it embarresses the bejezesus out of him
every time he has to ask for help
to eat his asparagus
maybe it just went
inside
where the world couldn't get to it
put it out for good
maybe it's part of their retirement plan
kinda like putting money in the bank
they're putting the sparkle in a safe deposit box
so they've still got it
and it's safe
and nobody can take it away
Not Aunt Betty
Not the government
Not the doctors
Not anybody
Cause, heavens!
if you loose the sparkle
well, I don't even know.
like I said.
my skin still snaps back.