Old age is for the lucky who make it there. Our outer appearance changes, we may forget where we put our keys, or mismatch our clothes. But the inner soul remains youthful and eager to proceed in life.
My poem was inspired by Asian wooden figurines, one being an old man stooped over but looking to be walking on a path.
Life's Badges
My spine is curved forward
And I walk with a cane.
My beard is white
And my head bears no hair.
My teeth are false
And my eyes are a blur.
At times my hands tremble,
My mind draws a blank.
I don't sleep through the night,
But nap in the day.
I can remember being a child
As if it were yesterday,
But today I have trouble recalling your name.
These are the badges
I've earned with my age.
I'm old but not broken,
A little tattered and worn.
My time in this body
May be drawing to end,
But I cherish where it has taken me.
This is a gift.
What a wonderful life!
