Is It My Jagged Charm?

My teeth are fake
My nose broke twice—
Looks better that way,
I think.

My scars tell stories
Of family life
I don’t always share,
Each mark:
a triumph,
a battle,
or a shame.

But today?
My nose bends just right—
To the left,
Then back to the right—
My contribution to
Jagged charm
And cheap, unaged, boxed wine.

I’m
Virtually
On the verge
Of being
Handsomely old.

When I was young
The chicks said
I was almost a
Hunk.

The mirror laughs—
And so, do I,
When I peer in it.
With the stories I tell…
We both grin—
The mirror
And this worn-out storyteller.

Maybe a broken toe
Will carry me over
The edge.
I’ll be unique—
From toe to nose.

As a poem,
I know this ain’t no Shakespeare
Or…
“Roses are red
And
Violets are blue”

But I do
Love You.

Now I realize,
Even broken beauty
Is now
Intimately
Beautiful.

I’ve been saved—
By the Muse
I’ve come to know
Her inherent guidance…
I’ve learned I need.

Come to think of it,
I broke my toe.
A long, long, long time ago.
I guess I am almost,
Perfect.
From toe to nose.

I have a memory…
Of the wino we dined
At White Castles
As teenagers
To buy us
Cheap boxed wine
Was divine
We remember it still.

Come—
Sit. Sip. Laugh.
Embrace the company
Of jokesters
And realists.

All our broken bits
And pieces.

Sometimes,
Beauty
Is unexpectedly
Found.

Even with a bent nose
A wonky toe
A cheap box of vino
On the counter—
Ticking down
My life.

How
Strangely
Beautiful
Are
You?

Let’s have
Fun.

Oh—
Now that I’m remembering…
It was vermouth,
Not boxed wine.

Haaa
How stupid was that!
My memory knows
As I sip.

So,
What jagged charm
Do you bring?
That I can love.

My mind’s eye
Will know.
What to see.
Sometimes life doesn’t care—
But I do.

Let’s be
Messily
Human.
The Muse
Smiles.
Knowing
The imperfections.