as i watch you sleep
i look
at the road map that is
your face

i study the creases and valleys
intently
hoping to divine the
trips you've made
the major journeys
but also the side trips--
unexpected pleasures

i wonder whether i am
reflected in the furrow
of your brow or the
laugh lines at the corners
of your eyes

or both

if the grey hairs that
frame your face come from
unkind words or
days well spent

if the softness of your skin
reflects the softness of
your heart

and the barely perceptible
upturn of your mouth
as you sleep a sign
that you dream of
your grandsons playing

do you rest knowing that
you give and receive love
that your presence matters
in the world?


H4A
LR