Ode to an Aging Southern Lady

We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves.
                  -Mary Lamberton Becker (American Writer and Critic)


Ode to an Aging Southern Lady

She wears pricey jewelry, proudly displayed.
She’s earned respect, she’s earned the praise.
With Southern grace and an ounce of spite,
she hides her emotions and says, “That’s nice”,
which doesn’t really mean it’s nice if one believes
her Southern femininity is a sign she's weak.

She has a calm, expectant flair,
What she needs, she knows will be there
or else, the manager will hear all about
the waiter who failed to acknowledge her clout.
You may think this woman is high brow and rude
but you have no idea what she’s been through. 

She made her life just what it is
despite the family life she lived.
The older she got, the stronger she felt.
She earned the stripes upon her belt.
The choices she made, there’s no regret.
For her children, she refused to forget

to live each day like it was her last.
For her family, she created a privileged past;
became the best of herself every day;
and never apologized for having to say
“I don’t condone rudeness, I demand respect,”
for she has learned, she gets what she expects.

So take a lesson from this Southern Lady,
Don't judge a woman by how graceful she's aging,
She might be sly and she might be cunning,
She might be charming and she might be shunning
those who misjudge her by her beauty or age. 
She may intrigue you, but watch out for her rage.

The years have not diminished her flair;
her ageless beauty, her silky blonde hair.
She has a mind, still sharp, and a wit to boot,
She's subtle when needed, but at parties, a hoot.
With freedom of age, she can be who she is,
no better or worse, but with a lot more fizz. 

SWPoet
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