In Praise of the Older Body

photo from The Body Is Not An Apology

Let us raise our voices

in praise of the older body

The body who has survived

insult, illness, and the indignities of the years

Praise

to the fragile thin skin

with its lines like poetry

written on its surface

Hallelujah

to the drooping boobs

hanging like water balloons waiting

for some mischief

Amen

to the no longer taut torsos,

hard and thin as wooden planks in their youth

Now soft, delicate dumplings,

yielding, giving pillows

Sing adorations

to the stretch marks

and the scars,

warriors' wounds,

earned and cherished

Hosanna

to silvery hair,

a glittering crown

atop the head of a queen,

full of knowledge and memories and wisdom

Glory be

to age spots,

the kisses of time,

to crows' feet and laugh lines,

birthed by so many smiles

Praise

to the body 

who is a work of art,

a work of life lived,

of love given and received

Let us raise our voices

as we raise our arms,

be they fat as Vienna sausages

or skinny as chicken wings,

in triumph 

and in praise 

of the older body.