Seasons of the Body
Youth is spring,
blossoms, smoothness, idealized perfection.
Old age is winter,
frost, concealment, farewells.
Only summer and fall build bridges,
ripeness and golden harvest time
gliding toward wilting and letting go.
Through different lenses we may see
the lustrous skin of youth as cold as marble,
while wrinkles of age show warmth and wisdom.
Young eyes may shine bright and proud,
but lack insight.
Muscular legs can run fast,
but be unable to slow down and meditate.
Dark locks of hair entangle in an embrace,
while silky gray strands are caressed by the wind.
The fit body finds admirers,
but tenderness hovers over frailty.
The young heart beats with optimism,
but may neglect to open its chambers to listen.
If we accept our bodies, ourselves across time,
we find beauty in every season.
- © Ute Carson 2021
A writer from youth and an M.A. graduate in comparative literature from the University of Rochester, German-born Ute Carson published her first prose piece in 1977. Colt Tailing, a 2004 novel, was a finalist for the Peter Taylor Book Award. Carson’s story “The Fall” won Outrider Press’s Grand Prize and appeared in its short story and poetry anthology A Walk through My Garden, 2007. Her second novel In Transit was published in 2008. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and magazines in the US and abroad. Ute Carson resides in Austin, Texas with her husband. They have three daughters, six grandchildren, a horse and a clowder of cats. www.utecarson.com
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