Sophie grown old

Like a new invention, Sophie
      you were ushered into the world;
given all the care and attention
      of the new-found; trained
for perfection, till all
      stepped back and admired
the beauty, the goodness
      the gifts.

You lived a little,
      saw much suffering
brought peace where you could,
      hardly noticing the changing
colour of your hair
      the yellowing skin,
life spreading its surreptitious
      disease.

You loved a lot
      were for a while loved back
and forth
      but with a merchant love capable
only of despair, and then
      you were left alone.
But though your life ceased
      you continued to grow old,
with a mind that swayed
      to a weakly magnetic north.

Now,
      if that exists for you,
you have been placed in a drawer
      along with other uncrossed oceans
which have outgrown their usefulness,
      lost all novelty.

You rarely stir the dust about you
      nor do many come to inspect
you in your hidden place,
      to take you by the hand
and press a little warmth
      into your cold, lost world.
We all grow out of fashion
      but never outgrow love.

John Lyons

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