“Gene, You’re Slowing Down”

Hello friends, Aging is not for the young, as the saying goes. These days my balance seems to be wobbly, and my footsteps are not as certain as they once were. I take an occasional tumble to remind myself that dignity is one of the most fleeting of human traits. I am thankful for Peggy’s watchful eye and the help of a daily home visitor. I wrote a few words about the necessity of bending with age, adapting to change rather than fighting against it, and when gravity asserts its pull there’s not much one can do to avoid meeting the ground that’s rushing up to meet you! I hope all your bumps and bruises are minor ones. “Gene, You’re Slowing Down” is included in my new book of poems, “Interbeing.” Thanks, Gene

 

“Gene, You’re Slowing Down”

It’s a kind way for my wife to tell me
of new changes on my home stretch.
I hear code words,
but anxiety makes me resist.

Okay, less driving at night
on rain-slick streets, any dim streets.
My finger just caught the lip
of a McDonald’s coffee, coloring
this poem like an old manuscript.

She feels it deeply,
but maybe too early for me,
shutting down before necessary,
the struggle between care and surrender.

This spring my Kwanzan cherry of 20 years
tries to talk to me from its fewer blossoms
and damaged core, saying farewell or almost.

Wise teachers of spirit advise slowing down,
pulling back from full speed
to detect inner wisdom.

Yet their counsel seems easier,
retreat to re-enter, rest
to run back up the hill.

But the Kwanzan knows a harder truth,
no more hikes to the peak,
no more excursions far and wide,
the cycle is ending.

Embrace the beauty of each day.
Love lessens fear.