Scars and wrinkles

Life has played games with my skin
Kept notes on it
Left memos: oh by the way
You fell and you bled here.
You grew too fast.
You burned and were scarred. You hurt and were scared.
You learned
At last
I've turned into a notebook
Or the back of an envelope.
Life has made maps of me.
I said I'd die unblemished,
But tattoos chose me,
Piercings found me
(thumbtack in my palm,
One prick requiring another in my arm to stave off tetanus)
So now I am covered with story,
Unchosen glory,
And every section's gory imperfections
Serve as answers to my questions.
Life's little lectures as living reflections of
Who I have been until now,
Somehow.
And sometimes when I'm looking in the mirror
I see glimmers of the woman that I'm one day going to be.
Neat crow's feet to remind me
That laughter lies behind me
It's lined me already.