—Photos Courtesy of Public Domain
LOOK AT ME, I’M SOARING
I'll fly with the wings of an avocet
as strong and as swift as a bird can get,
over meadow and over field.
Old age will never make me yield.
I rise each morning with the sun,
ready for laughter, ready for fun.
There are so many things for me to do.
My life is exciting and joyous too.
Avocet, avocet, look at me. I'm soaring.
Avocet, avocet, so graceful and enduring.
I'll fly with the wings of an avocet
as strong and as swift as a bird can get,
over meadow and over field.
Old age will never make me yield.
I rise each morning with the sun,
ready for laughter, ready for fun.
There are so many things for me to do.
My life is exciting and joyous too.
Avocet, avocet, look at me. I'm soaring.
Avocet, avocet, so graceful and enduring.
A HALLELUJAH FOR AGING
(with my sincere appreciation to Leonard
Cohen for inspiring me with his incomp-
arable song, "Hallelujah")
A time will come when you'll look around,
as though you heard a trumpet sound.
You'll realize that nothing will renew you.
You had a major fall, a minor shift,
while Heaven's angels sang sweet hallelujah.
You'll feel a nudge and wonder why.
You never heard a word. You sigh.
If your reply makes no sense, let them sue you.
Your hearing's bad. What can you do?
Old age has got the best of you, hallelujah.
You check the mirror on the wall.
Who can that be, a tortured soul?
Life has really messed you up and screwed you.
Your face is wrinkled as a prune.
You hear a sad and mournful tune. Hallelujah.
How did the time fly by so fast?
You're ready for a body cast
and taking fifty pills a day. Will they do you?
Some make you sleepy as a cat,
or jumpy as a gnat shouting hallelujah.
So just relax and take a rest.
Perhaps with slumber you'll be blessed.
Be sure to get your Covid shot and booster.
What you can't change, you must accept.
This shaky world will undo you. Hallelujah.
I CANNOT STOP MY SINGING
Life goes on in endless song in spite of grief and
sorrow.
The strains of a faraway tune promise a new
tomorrow.
Through great confusion and strife I hear music
ringing.
There is an echo in my soul. I cannot stop my
singing.
When my joy and comfort dies, my spirit still
upholds me.
When darkness surrounds, night music still
consoles me.
Storms will not shake my inner peace to which
I am clinging.
I have faith it will see me through. I cannot stop
my singing.
In the sky the dark cloud rolls by with only blue
behind it,
and every day grows clearer now. My true path,
I will find it.
The peace here within my heart is a fountain that
is springing.
What I need, I will find. It is true. I cannot stop
my singing.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
The most important thing I can tell you about aging is this: If you really feel that you want to have an off-the-shoulder blouse and some big beads and thong sandals and a dirndl skirt and a magnolia in your hair, do it. Even if you're wrinkled.
—Maya Angelou
____________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Linda Klein for today’s fine poetry!
Don’t forget
to check each day’s happenings for
Sacramento Poetry Week at
https://www.sacramentopoetryweek.com/.
For info about these and other
future poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
send poetry and/or photos and artwork
to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
to check each day’s happenings for
Sacramento Poetry Week at
https://www.sacramentopoetryweek.com/.
For info about these and other
future poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
send poetry and/or photos and artwork
to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
