aging… change… inevitable.
cracks, moss, peeling paint…

we could fill the cracks, kill the moss,
slap on a fresh coat of paint…
and pretend it’s new again.

we could let it succumb…
to deteriorate into a heap of
rotted wood and crumbled stone…
and pretend it’s dead,
even though it’s not.

we could let it age with dignity,
maintaining – as best we can –
the structural foundation,
while letting the history of
weathered storms, myriad encounters,
passing years…

tell it’s stories with grace, honesty and pride –
even if for nothing other than the fact that
it is still standing.

My vote is for dignity.

Photos taken at the historic Fort Vancouver Artillery Barracks in Vancouver, WA USA. Established in the 1840s as Camp Vancouver, this American military post remained active for more than 150 years.

Daily Post weekly photo challenge: State of Mind