Woman I discovered the crow’s feet nestled by my eyes. I forgave them and accepted them to be mine. I love that they exhibit a piece of my struggle. Days I squinted in delight, dark nights when weeping left me drained and numb. I questioned the veins in my hands, pronounced and deep, then I accepted them for all the hard labor they had done. Hands weathered by love given, days from dawn to dusk, babies they had washed, foreheads caressed. I watched my white strands residing in my dark hair. I accepted them for their resilience and beauty. I challenged my mind to battle the known, and seek the wonder of the unknown. I challenged my soul to rise up and embrace the woman I have become and embrace the life I have been given. (This poem is an excerpt from the author's debut poetry book, Second Chances: Poetry from a Sun-Kissed Life , released May 7th, 2019, and available by clicking here .) Ayala Zarfjian, an Israeli-born American poet, is a mother, grandmother, survivo
Women's Spiritual Poetry