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.