Beneath The Sweater And The Skin by Jeannette Encinias
by Vanessa
How many years of beauty do I have left?
she asks me.
How many more do you want?
Here. Here is 34. Here is 50.
When you are 80 years old
and your beauty rises in ways
your cells cannot even imagine now
and your wild bones grow luminous and
ripe, having carried the weight
of a passionate life.
When your hair is aflame
with winter
and you have decades of
learning and leaving and loving
sewn into
the corners of your eyes
and your children come home
to find their own history
in your face.
When you know what it feels like to fail
ferociously
and have gained the
capacity
to rise and rise and rise again.
When you can make your tea
on a quiet and ridiculously lonely afternoon
and still have a song in your heart
Queen owl wings beating
beneath the cotton of your sweater.
Because your beauty began there
beneath the sweater and the skin,
remember?
This is when I will take you
into my arms and coo
YOU BRAVE AND GLORIOUS THING
you’ve come so far.
I see you.
Your beauty is breathtaking.
Wild & Precious Life 
This is a very valuable thing shared, I just want to thank for letting us know about this wonderful blog.
https://blog.mindvalley.com/poems-about-life/
When I read this poem I wept with joy!
Your images are transcendent in that they carried me to relive the memories of cherishing, and being cherished.
I don’t have more words. I trust you will receive my acknowledgment, recognition, praise, and blessings.
Virginia Holmquist
What a sweet note Virginia!
The poem is by a writer based in Portland named Jeannette Encinias. She’s a beautiful woman as well as an old and dear friend. Our story goes back to the 3rd grade. Please look up her name in the search box, as I have a few other pieces that she’s written posted on my blog. I think you’ll enjoy all of them. Her writing has a unique tone and perfectly captures these frail and delicate moments of our human existence. Despair, loss, aching, yearning, triumph, love and always more love.
I will pass along your kind words and praise. I know she will appreciate it.
xx,
what a beautiful poem. my heart is beating in my throat and there are tears in my eyes. Please thank your friend and author truly, what a gift to leave.
I will share your sweet sentiments.
xx,
So moved by this poem, having lost my mom at 98yo not long ago and now coming upon those years myself. So richly full of images that resonate with the best of sentiments and eloquently express our common humanity.
Thank you for the note Sherm. This poem seems to be resonating with a lot of people.
I shared some of these comments with the author and she said,
“I love how poetry connects and heals.”
Me too!
xx,
This poem and her others you have posted here had me googling all over the internet. I can’t believe she’s not some famous artist I’d never heard of before with a thick volume of published poetry. These cracked open my heart. Thank you for sharing them here, thank your friend for writing them!
I sense, that someday she will be! Her words and tone really seem to reach people.
[…] found this lovely poem on the blog Wild and Precious Life. Do visit the blog and read the comments below the poem for more information about the poet, […]
Vanessa,
I love this so very much, it just spoke to me when I first read it a couple months ago. I have it saved on my desktop at work and read it often, at random times, when things are getting me down, when I am missing my kids, never know when I just have to open it up and read it.
There is just something about luminous and ripe bones, hair aflame with winter, the ridiculously lonely afternoon and you brave and glorious thing…. I can’t really explain why it means so much to me but please let your friend Jeannette know that it’s very special. I’m 61, hair is aflame with winter and hoping to be brave and glorious even on the ridiculously lonely afternoons I may have in my future, remaining happy and a song in my heart
Queen owl wings beating beneath my cotton sweater.
I will keep checking to see more of Jeannette’s work, thank you so much for sharing. I read this after we moved from Seaside Oregon back to Iowa in the summer, didn’t know we had such a great writer in Portland. Janet
Glad you enjoyed it. She’s an amazing writer & woman.
I just saw this extraordinary, thoughtful poem today on facebook, paired with an exquisite b/w photo showing woman’s hand braiding her silver hair. The perfect combination of beauty – words & image. Is the photo yours? Thanks so much !
It’s not my photo. It might be the writer’s.
achingly beautiful
Truly!
I have been in a relationship with a lady aged 57. She is ten years my senior and I am falling deeply in love with her. She does seem to have some insecurities about the age gap, however, when I look at her, all I see is strength, intelligence and beauty. I don’t see a difference in age at all. This piece of writing made me think of her in many ways. I am wondering whether to share it with her. Thank you for sharing it with me. Truly beautiful.
Thank you for the sweet note. I passed along your comment to the author and she was touched. She said “I am so grateful this poem has helped so many people. It was written from a place of real love and admiration.”
And yes, I think definitely share with your lovely lady.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder! I try to accept the whole aging process- and look at each day as a gift. I’m a Breast Cancer Survivor- and understand at another level than some, that being here is a gift. This writing- made me remember, yet again- the gift and beauty of aging.
The power of the word so moving
Brilliant