A Strand of Gray Hair

A Strand of Gray Hair

It arrived out of nowhere
One strand of gray hair
Resembling a lone aspen tree
Lost in a forest of evergreens

I will never know
How much time I have left
Aging occurs without consent

I pluck it off my head
Where newborn peach fuzz once grew
And the golden strands of my youth
Now my caramel locks are highlighted
with chemicals

I examine the plucked hair
Nickel-colored, coarse and strong
It reflects light
A sign from the afterlife
The soul remains the same
While I physically transform

This is the first
But it won’t be the last
There’s nothing I can do
To prevent these gray hairs from springing

Instead of lamenting my age
I relish my wisdom