REFERENCE:
Margie Michaud lives near in Atlantic Beach, Florida, which is near Jacksonville, Florida. I met her when I was in Jacksonville, and talked about books, giving her a couple of mine, which she said she read with a dictionary. She had grown up in the Midwest, and was friends with a classmate of mine, Nadine Krogman, of my St. Patrick's Grammar School and Clinton High (Iowa) years. A delightful lady. She proves my thesis, "Everyone's An Author."
WHEN YOU REACH 80
A POEM OF SURVIVAL
MARGIE MICHAUD
© MOTHER’S DAY, SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2014
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN YOU REACH 80
THE PROBLEMS ARE
MANY, THE ISSUES ARE WEIGHTY
YOU HAVE INDIGESTION,
IT’S COMMON, IN FACT
BUT WHEN YOU GET 80,
YOU THINK “HEART ATTACK”
THEN YOU GET ALL
UPSET, YOU FEEL THAT YOU’LL BURST
YOU GET SHORT OF
BREATH AND YOU THINK THE WORST
YOUR HEART STARTS TO
RACE, OR BEAT FLIPPETY-FLOP
AND YOU’LL SURE THAT
ANY MINUTE IT’S GOING TO STOP
YOUR PRESSURE GOES
UP, YOU FEEL SOMETHING IS BROKE
AND YOU’RE FRIGHTENED
TO DEATH THAT YOU’RE HAVING A STROKE
YOU’RE PROBABLY
HAVING A PANIC ATTACK
BUT WHEN YOU ARE 80,
YOU DON’T THINK LIKE THAT
THERE ARE NO MINOR
ISSUES, ONLY FATAL EVENTS
AND A SYMPTOM IGNORED
ONLY GETS MORE INTENSE
YOU DON’T HAVE A
STOMACH ACHE-SURELY IT’S CANCER
OR SOME NEW DISEASE FOR
WHICH THERE’S NO ANSWER
YOUR LEGS ACHE AND
SWELL AND SOMETIMES FEEL HOT
IT’S NEVER ARTHRITIS,
YOU’RE SURE IT’S A CLOT
IT’S NOT JUST A
HEADACHE OR EVEN A MIGRAINE
YOU THINK TO YOURSELF
“I HAVE A TUMOR ON MY BRAIN.”
WHEN YOU’RE NOT YOUR
OLD SELF, AND YOU’RE TIRED AND WORN
AND YOUR LEGS DON’T
WORK RIGHT AND YOUR BALANCE IS GONE
WHEN YOUR EYESIGHT IS
FAILING AND YOU NEED A HAND
TO GET OUT OF A
CHAIR, OR THE CAR, OR JUST STAND, YOU’RE 80
FORGET “LIFETIME
GUARANTEE” OR “LONG LASTING,” TOO
THESE THINGS ARE
GOING TO LONG OUTLAST YOU
YOU DON’T RENEW
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR
WHOSE GONNA READ THAT
STUFF WHEN YOU’RE NOT HERE
YOU REALIZE YOU’RE 80
AND TIME MARCHES ON
THE 23” WAIST HAS
LONG SINCE BEEN GONE
AND REPLACED WITH
FLAB AND SAGGING SKIN
AND YOU’RE NOT REALLY
PROUD OF THE SHAPE THAT YOU’RE IN, BUT YOU’RE 80
YOU KNOW IN YOUR
HEART THAT THE BEST DAYS ARE PAST
AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE
NOW GONE AND YOU ARE THE LAST
OF YOUR GROUP TO HANG
ON AND SURVIVE, BUT
HEY, I THANK GOD THAT
I STILL AM ALIVE – AT 80
No comments:
Post a Comment