Suddenly Senior

Suddenly I’m old,
and this mind,
that feels the same as when I was nineteen,
struggles with that fact.

How did this happen?
I was just living my life,
dealing day to day
with the joys and pitfalls of our Path.
I tried to be a good friend,
a helpful neighbour,
a dependable father,
a sensitive lover,
and I suppose old age sneaked by me
when I wasn’t looking.

Oh, I am happy and content
with my life:
I wouldn’t change it
should some magic djinn
grant me that wish.
It is just that age surprised me
while I was otherwise occupied,
and I resent that
just a bit.

There are things left for me to do
that are more difficult for the elderly,
so I shall just have to try a little harder,
be a little more determined,
than the youth I thought I was.
I’ll continue to work out with Joe Weider’s help,
and take long walks with my friendly beagle,
and find excuses to run up and down stairs.
Watching my diet is fun,
and isn’t it amazing how much garbage
manufacturers put in processed food;
astounding how many chemicals
find their way onto our tables?

I’ll stretch my mind through contemplating
the Universal Balance.
I’ll try to understand why
so many of us just will not see
a larger Picture,
and work to make life better for all,
rather than blindly consuming, hating,
and seeking, rather than Enlightenment,
instant gratification.

I’m a senior now: I am old,
but that does not mean
I must become a neo-conservative,
and wear polyester trousers,
hiked up around my chest.
I do not have to abandon
my nineteen year old heart.

Tomorrow I’ll be older,
but in this joyous Now
I still am me.