_____ It has been three years, and the reflection I see this morning is a true reflection of my body and spirit.
_____ I hold my head high, with the short, white hair still part of my heady landscape. The ten pounds of weight gain, drapes my body like a protective cover; Leaving a hint of padding here and there on my fifty-six year old frame. My worn denim shirt allows a glimpse of the rose that is tattooed on the left side of my chest. It is red with a long green stem, a hint of yellow borders the red of the rose. Enough to suggest, a bright inner and outer me, and enhance the fire of my rose.
“Nobody knew my rose of the world but me....
I had too much glory.
They don’t want glory,
like that in nobody heart.”
~The Rose Tattoo
_____Black leather pants encase my lower body, but my feet are bare, as I stand on the deck over looking the river, watching the sunrise of a new day. I wrap a Mexican blanket around my shoulders to warn off the chill, knowing the sun will bring with it the warmth, and the joy of a new day.
_____I look back and know; I didn’t lose anything I couldn’t regain.

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