“Old Aged" Women

As one that has always loved women

as one that has always admired girls

then

becoming older, women

so often I have wondered of their thoughts

when gazed upon first by boys

then later in life by men

and now

years beyond middle age

well into “old age”

though

I must admit

I have always been

when younger

and now older

much older

I have always been one

to look upon and so admire the

beauty of a passing

when younger, girl

and now

as I am older

much older

the retained beauty

of an older woman.

still...

still I wonder how this passing woman

must feel when at one time

when in her youth she was gazed upon

with wishful longing

but now

when well beyond middle age

when well into “old age”

when now the admiring looks of men no longer come

when once annoyed by the lingering looks of men

this woman may have drawn her sweater tightly about

or her jacket closer side to side.

but now

now well beyond middle age,

now into “old age”

does this once youthfully beautiful woman miss

the admiring looks of the opposite sex

as for me

as for this older man

as for this old man I still look longingly

at this older woman

this older woman who has retained the

shadow of her once youthful beauty

and can, in my thoughts, can imagine the

beauty of this woman in the days of her youth

of her long gone youth and will.

Occasionally I will approach

this woman that I do not know

with a smile and a gently

sincerely said

“You look lovely today.”

then the smile upon the face of this

once youthful beauty brightening

would remove the years of this

long beyond middle aged woman

would remove the years of this

“Old Aged” woman.

January 6, 2012 / Mark M Lichterman