To a Beautiful Old Woman.

You don’t have to be twenty. 

You are beautiful. 

I love to see you,

look at you,

and learn how you do it.

How you go around like you do,

being a beautiful old woman. 

Yes. 

I said

old woman.

I am tired of the shame in it. 

Old woman, you are beautiful,

and we need you to know it. 

We are watching you. 

You old women 

are the only 

old women we have,

the only teachers we have

who know what you know,

the womanly secrets,

the secrets 

of doyennes,

of matriarchs,

of queens. 

Old woman, 

you are beautiful.

Please.

Do the thing. 

Wear the thing. 

Be the thing. 

Toss your head,

and flash your smile,

no matter what it costs you. 

We need you to know 

that you are outside of time. 

We need you to know 

that you are beautiful.

©Amy Axby 2019