the days when i ran, laughing, after a butterfly
or let the waves chase me up the beach
or picked petals out of daisies
the days when i drank, deeply and often
and flirted wildly and wantonly
and danced on the sand with the rising sun
the days when i sat eagerly by the phone
or waited avid for a knock at the door
or raced to meet the postman
all those days are gone
the days when i stood at the mirror
and dreamed of being transfigured
and emerging as a swan
but other days are long passed too -
the days when i thought i'd never be loved
that happiness belonged to the beautiful
and that i would always be alone
i am content