Lichen on the Stone

Age is creeping up the stone

dressed as lichen, paper thin,

the delicate rosettes slowly

eating into marble skin.

 

A symbiotic work of art …

was that the stone carver’s design—

the piece matured by nature’s hand—

or had he other plans in mind?

 

In time, too, the scars of mere

survival gnaw at our façades

until our ages are engraved,

and youth is just an old charade.

 

We could acid wash the stone

to rescue it, and try to slow

the certain steady grind of time …

or let the graceful lichens grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…….

Leave a Reply