Who, ever thought
we’d live this long
grow grey & jowly
our spirits tired of
fighting.
‘’Forever’’ was
a misused word
bandied on the stage
of youth.
Here I watch the trees
watch, before & after me.
Those games we played
the songs we chose
to cleave to:
our children grown
from playing at our knees
are strangers now.
We never knew
we’d grow this old
our poets’ hearts
still singing, laughing
at the soft creep
of years.