lit by love or something near it
eyes sparkle with a secret dying to spill it

lines tracing features where before there were none
but a laugh or a tear behind every one


the curve of her lips still strange to see
the gap in her teeth teasing
"you can't catch me"

this face has been studied
has been graded, dismissed
has been treasured, envied and missed

and after twenty some years, has finally grown on me.
or maybe I've finally grown into it.