The storms of life have had their way,

The years have turned her dark to gray,

And robbed her of her partner, too –

The scars are where her feet walked through

The toughest rock-infested climbs,

The places where the toughest times

Have tried to conquer inner peace.

Doctor’s bills, death’s release,

Betrayals multiplied by four,

Troubles knocking on heart’s door.

Beneath the gray exterior

Lies a heart superior,

Tested by a difficult life,

Tempered by abundant strife;

She will live to see the day

When others lead her by the way,

Lives whose hearts by hers were touched

In sundry ways, by her deep love.