Cosmetic Damage

all that paper skin circling the eyes 
gives in first, it claws its way 

from the corners as time marches
its trumpets over your dermis

get cool with the crumbling 
temple, or get obsessed

with tighteners and tossed treasure
to see yourself swimming
 
in the fountain at a city square
where women emerge uncracked

surgeons applaud their faces
with dotted lines, marvelous

one suspects it’s a fine line 
between bloom and reborn

no stem-cell serum 
can remove
your scars, which are 
the body’s memory

it’s not like you
can massage a filler
into the crevices and forget
 
the profound sorrow
in a rejuvenated wrinkle

______________________

Friday Writing #204: The most expensive garment