Late love
Hi friends,
With age we find more time for things to love, things we might have overlooked in our earlier years. With lessened time (and awareness of aging) we may become alert to things we neglected in the past, such as an amazing bird who talks with me … teakettle, teakettle. More attention paid to other things that seem minor but now take on more importance — the CPAP machine is still too loud for Peggy to sleep easily. We may try a wax jaw extender on me to further cut down my snoring, and for a while we have been sleeping in different rooms.
Did Jesus learn self-giving love from the birds of Palestine? The Holy Spirit has long been pictured as a dove, and birds have a long scriptural history. Below is an artful eagle and plaque I photographed while walking in the state botanical garden near the Day Chapel.
With the pressure of lessened time, we slow down and notice more: who would think that I, with a Ph.D. in religion, would befriend roaches in my bathtub? I’m finding friends in odd places! Gene
Late Love
This morning as I walked up the driveway,
I chatted with a friend wren
back and forth: “Teakettle, teakettle,”
almost as fine as picking up the Times.
In the shadows of late life,
my world seems to shrink:
fewer people, more time for things to love
that used to pass without a wink.
I love my wife in deeper, different ways,
even with spats enough yet leaning
on each other, and aware of cat Tony
helping her adjust my CPAP mask.
There’s the love of the crape myrtle
in full red bloom lining the road.
No special demands, no expected gifts
except water from the sky or a garden hose.
There’s even a special affection for four poets
who gather weekly for coffee
and kindly critique of our new poems.
Most of their arrows are gathered with thanks,
but some are resisted from self-love
and a need to clash swords, maybe driven
by ancient games of manhood.
In my twilight, I’m willing to park the car
for a love walk among flowering brethren
in the botanical garden, ready for a selfie,
while I still can.
At home I rescue an old roach from the bathtub,
to join yesterday’s daddy long-legs
among the succulents.
