Wrinkles

Every face tells a thousand tales

mapping trails, tracks and traps

haunted by whispers

from an ancestral crypt

to today’s lesions and losses

Every face offers glimpses

of deep wrinkles in our character

those minor quirks and quandaries

that enlarge into chasms

till we seem incomprehensible 

Pain is our path, a promise, a progression

that breaks down pride and softens judgements

populating our portraits and personas 

with pigments of perfected imperfection

each blemish a badge of endurance

The eyes of love bear witness

to the daring and dignity

of each wrinkle, line and blemish

worn with neither shame nor pride

revealing the bashful beauty inside

Poem by Stefan Freedman. 21.03.2025