Time

Mask upon my face

I awoke this morning well rested
What a shock when I looked in my mirror
Someone has played a joke on me – my children – I await the tell tale giggle from my son
It doesn’t come, I am alone looking in the mirror
Someone crept in to my bedroom an placed a mask upon my face while I slept – that must be,
I can not remove the mask I rub and pinch my face.
This mask is excellent workmanship I can not tell where this mask ends and my face begins
This mask has lines and wrinkles that are not mine
The eyes staring back at me are red where the white should be and a dull blue not the sapphire shine I know are the colour of my eyes
There are lines creeping up from my lips, they definitely do not belong to me
My full raspberry red lips I’m used to are gone and a slash of milky pink thin and stretched lips remain baggy and slack
Why would someone do this to me?
This cruel parody of my face – why would anyone play such a cruel trick
Please take it off! Take it off! this harsh mask upon my face
No this is definitely not my face I see in my mirror
It’s similar but hard and drawn not mine am I hallucinating?
This is no game, a joke gone on too long a trick played upon me but why?
Answer me why play with me?
No joke? Who are you that you dare sneak upon me while I dream and place this grotesque mask upon my face?
Who did this? Take it off! Please I beg
Who are you? show yourself? give me your name?
Old age – is that what you are called?
You caught me while I was sleeping?
How cruel you are, no warning no hint
I feel no different
But old age has covered my face
I hardly know you
I don’t recognise you and I do not want you old age
What’s that?
You dare to laugh at me old age?
You have chased away my youth while I rested, Come back… Come back..

Written by Mary Foster