Age, a work of art

Magaly from Poets and storytellers United invited us to write poetry or prose inspired by the following quote

“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.” 
Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

 

Age, a Work of Art

Youth has long since departed,
now a treasured star
in the constellation of my memories.
I recall the lightness
when I traveled without baggage,
when love danced as if caught in a breeze
under fluorescent lights,
where butterflies were released
from boxes of illusion.

My canvas held a few colours
passionate red and deep indigo.
I wasn’t yet aware of the array of hues
in which life reveals its blues;
I splashed in shallow water.

Age is the bed where wonder wakes up
With age, I learned to navigate
the art of sculpting my life.
I chiseled depth and meaning,
carving a scar for every lesson learned,
sculpting wrinkles for all the work done.

My palette of colours expanded:
green for learning to let go,
yellow for learning to shine,
purple for understanding what matters most—
he tāngata, it is the people.

The alchemist of time created a palette
to paint my life as I imagined,
a creative adventure,
a work of art.