Coming Into Myself

I look
in the mirror
at a face I know well
every line speaks volumes
every wrinkle a marker
on the map of my life
those marks tell a story
of emotional upheaval
joy and pain alike
and I am glad
the laugh lines
outweigh the others

I start
to really look at me
beyond the physical signs
of age and experiences
see my strengths
and grudgingly I learn
to accept my weaknesses
I stop being obsessed
with flaws in my character
I stop berating myself
for things I cannot change
and start to change
those things I can

I find
joy in little things
instead of letting
the continuous influx
of overblown drama drag me down
the tangled threads unwind
even life itself
starts to make
some sense at least

I take
a small step
instead of attempting
a leap that's bound to fail
and suddenly
I feel safe
without my armour
just being me
and I rest
calm inside myself
content at last