The essence of a life is in the face
Each wrinkle etched with a memory
What was once young and beautiful becomes
Old and haggard with time
A life hard-lived, hard-won
Battles waged in vain
Losses by the score
Imbedded now in the sadness of the eyes
A dollop of paint, a muted color
The artist captures the decades
With the flick of a brush.