(age)

It gives me
a sense of
sadness
seeing women
age.
an older woman
I knew
who hit middle
age, quit smoking
put on pounds.
I was stunned
& did not understand
for another
twenty years.
Puffy faced,
the mask
of a nearly endless
array of sad
secrets
the loses
& changes
we’re afraid
to talk about.
Turning into men
our fear.
And then there
is all that doesn’t
matter any more.
All that we don’t
care about.

3/8/00