To My Silver Lining…

To my silver lining

I watched your tired eyes
Give way to oceans
Waves pour from them down narrow valleys
And between the mountain
Onto the shallow creases of your lips
A curl of a smile
Hints your cheek bones
And the colours ray from your brow

I watched your strength
Become weakness
As you crack open jars
And twist free bottles
You use your t-shirt for more grip
And the calluses in your palms ache from life
And another cut and graze
To total at the end of the day

I watched your ankles hide
Behind the swelling
And the heat
Now the cold
And I fear they will snap in half
With a push
Or a shove
Or a step in the wrong direction

I watched your back slant
And the masseuse tell you to get it checked
He stood you in the mirror and showed you
That your spine was not straight
That it was surprising you never realised
Little did he know the mirror and you are not friendly
Not close enough to see each other
Not enough to reflect let alone detect

I watched as it would gain inexplicable marks
Rashes and bruises from nowhere
Your neck would have stories of its own
Hands that hold it, hostage
With passion or desire
Often a little too much passion
And eventually no desire
And free it would be once again

I watched
Carefully at each stage of you
And your transformation
One as you, when you were quiet
As you, when you were trying to not be you
And as you, when you were attempting to accept you
I watched and took notes
So I could write confidently all I witnessed

To my silver lining that now shines defiantly and radiant
That says wisdom will follow
But so will experience and hard times
And those tired eyes would know
As they fill to occupy the emptiness inside
And speak
Spilled thoughts come to mind
And finally I realise that you have aged

To my silver lining of grey
I welcome you today
And tomorrow
And as you are joined by what follows
I honour you
So that I can soon honour me
And all that I have become
And all that I am soon to be.