Painted life

She sketches the ghost of a smile
Mirror reflection
Brush coaxed out
The beauty within.
She strokes on color
The palette littered
The colors of her emotion
Blended
Swirling
Applied with loving care
To her blank canvas.
Age old selfie
In oils
Pigments transferred
To match the view
Of all she sees
And below the surface
That which is yet unnamed by her mind.
Still life of girl
Painted by woman
Who longs for the yesterday
Before the creases became
Part of the creation,
Before the browns turned grey,
To a time when youth was beauty
She does not see
That time changes nothing
Just slightly alters
The tones of paint,
Dulling them slightly
Peeling at edges
But still a masterpiece
To the trained eye.