with perfect coiffure,
not a single hair
out of place.
Looking in the mirror
dabbed a bit of perfume
touched up her lips,
checked on her studs
smoothened her dress.
satisfied with herself
she was ready to face
the world again.
she was afraid of
aging, ‘even’ gracefully.
a dead giveaway-
her gnarled fingers!
That was great, gautami.
ReplyDeleteROFL......
ReplyDeleteWhat we do for vanity. What? That's a phobia now? Well there goes all the fun. :(
ReplyDeleteRose
xo
I know some ladies (young ones too!) who physically cannot walk out of their homes without being fully made up - I'd say when it gets beyond vanity it certainly becomes a phobia!
ReplyDeleteThe hands are always the giveaway, that's what my mum also tells me. Well observed, and well written.
Bet she bites her nails!
ReplyDeleteExcellent, Gautami! Beautifully written, we've all known one or two folks with this phobia!
ReplyDeletemannequin culture
ReplyDeleteplastic people everywhere
botox and boob jobs
nice poem, gautami. is she afraid of aging or afraid of what aging implies... your penultimate line is a dead giveaway!
that is soooo funny... i am from palm beach and all the botox beauties have old blotchy gnarled hands and a face of a 40 year old!!!!!!
ReplyDeletePeople are amazing - great job with narrowing down this fear and poem-ing it!
ReplyDeletegreat poem!
ReplyDeletethis is excellent.
ReplyDeletefunny and sad at the same time...
oviously
ReplyDeleteas one untouched by the ravages of time
i cannot really comment :)
(i wish)
liked this one
cheers
Very good one, Gautami. While I am not afraid of growing older, I am well aware that hands are the true indicator!
ReplyDeleteMichele sent me.
The word "gnarled" really made this visual for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's perfect, a distilled moment. For me, I see my grandmother's hands, and smell her perfume, when I read it.
Michele sent me for this visit.
ha ha
ReplyDeletebeautiful
and
true
The hands and neck are always a dead give away - gnarled fingers and goose neck flaps!! How attractive.
ReplyDeleteI'm in envy of so much being conveyed in so few words!
hmmm. i think i better take good care of my hands then. =)
ReplyDeleteanother good one gautami. keep 'em coming.