Appearances Poem by David McLansky

Oh do not judge this peeling shield of flesh
Made coarse and dry by lashing wind and sky
Once I was handsome, a young man by sleep refreshed
A glory to the touch and to the eye.

Unconscious of my physical perfection,
Haphazard in my use of brush and comb
Oh, I was random in my choices and selection,
I took for granted what I only had on loan.

Time has worn the face that outfaced the storm
Worry has weathered, gouged and grooved my skin;
Innocent in my birth, in innocence I was born,
A new babe unaware of sin