Scars and Stains

These are the proof of events that have left a mark on my life

A silent reminder of things often not readily recalled

Until I again “see” the evidence

That the event left behind

Not always remembered, but never truly forgotten

Scars that are both mental and physical, large and small

The left behind evidence of events that touched my life

Some I can see in the mirror on the wall

Others I see within the mirror of my soul

And some even in the faces of strangers around me

There are the scars and stains left by many events in history

Some which occurred many years ago, and some so very recently

Like the visible scars left upon the New York City landscape after 9/11

The visible trauma seen upon the faces and bodies of strangers

The invisible marks left upon the souls of so many from that day

Then I remember the night that my lover came to dinner

Leaving behind the stain from the too hot coffee cup

That had been placed upon my new table to cool

That coffee which his lips never touched,

Because he was too busy kissing mine

I see the mark of the wedding ring upon my finger

Placed there on a day of great joy

And though the ring has long since gone

The indent remains upon my skin as a reminder of that day

That I pledged my love to the one standing beside me

I look at my child, as he walks through the door

Knowing that I love him with a mothers love

Even though he has long ago left home

To make his own mark upon this world

As I also had to leave home to make mine

Now I turn to look into the hallway mirror

And I see the scars and lines that life has left on me

Badges of honour for the life I have lived

Reminders of the love I have given and received

And I am thankful for the scars and stains of my life

For they are proof of who I am as a woman

And they are a part of who I am as a mother

A daughter, a sister, a niece, a colleague and a friend

My life has never been empty and without meaning

And the stains and the scars remind me of this again, today.

Scars and Stains © Denise Mangano April 1 2007