MASTERPIECE #3662

/// A Lady at Her Mirror, on reflection,
here gives herself a very close inspection.
She’s not yet twenty-one
and stays out of the sun,
so she’s flawless; her skin is perfection.

/// At this age, it’s as though she’s enchanted.
Takes her youth and her beauty for granted.
Shiny hair, smooth firm flesh,
white teeth, breath’s always fresh—
seeds of doubt won’t for decades be planted.

/// Raoux has frozen the moment in time
when she saw a reflection sublime.
The result of her labors:
what is viewed by her neighbors
is a girl who has entered her Prime.

/// Yes, it’s true that this moment won’t last.
Beauty fades into part of the past.
But for now she’s aloof
with this painting as proof
of the brief time she stood unsurpassed.

/// Youth is wasted, they say, on the young,
and the trap of old age too soon sprung.
She’ll see looks fade away
and her body decay,
and her praises no longer be sung.

/// Still, she ought not feel sorrow or rage.
There are good things about every age.
Enjoy life while you can.
It’s, at best, a short span.
Make the most out of each changing stage.