A summer of tapering
Then quitting altogether
Anxiety, yes
Pain, no
The honeymoon stage
Energetic, optimistic, confident
I can do this
No longer a slave
To my thirty-year habit
Of covering my face
Enhancing the real me
The withdrawal
From cosmetics
Veiled for now
By the outdoor life of summer
The tan, the sunglasses, a hat
Still, in the mirror
Someone else
Faded, blurry
A distant relative
A younger me
An older me
Then it’s back to teaching
To my people, my colleagues
A complete unveiling
Will we be strangers
Quiet, unsure, puzzled
Or will they accept me
Encourage me to do the same
I feel the wall
The pressure of a relapse
Shall I run back to beautiful
Or is it no longer there
And was it ever
Support is critical
No one stares
Or cares, really
They see me as me
The real me
The unveiled me
And in the mirror
I know her now
But what about photos
Who is that person
Faded, blurry
A distant relative
A younger me
An older me
The adjustment stage
Short-lived or
A lifetime of wondering
Questioning my choice
A gift for now
Of acceptance
Appreciation
Satisfaction
Liberation
Letting others see in me
What I have always seen in them
Plain beauty.
A String of Pearls 