100 Days of Poetry: Days 56-60

Benefits of Aging

Image matters less
I am old; I must be wise
Experience informs

Friendship

(a haiku sonnet)

Talking while running
Philosophy in short bursts
Weekly therapy

Perched in my kitchen
Making bread, sipping hot tea
Solving life's problems

Backpack adventures
Yoga on rocky summits
Making memories

Mothers' Day road trips
Escaping for the weekend
Art, nature, food...ah!

Faces of friendship
Women of my heart

Nostalgia

Sitting on the stair, singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane"
Then "Springtime in the Rockies," little boys drifting asleep
Steam and moonbeams surrounding Firehole River hot pots
Fragrant Alaskan tundra under a midnight sun
Dancing to reggae in Lamoille Valley
Watching the tide roll in
Early morning, deserted beach
Ziplining in snow
Prairie thunderstorm
Mountaintops

Happiness

Here and now, learning to be present in the moment
Actively opening my heart, without need for reciprocation
Playing games, watching games...together
Poetry every day
Inconsequential moments adding up to joy
Needed a day off. Wish granted.
Endless possibilities once again visible
Serving on a whim
Sunshine, beautiful sunshine!

Rebellion

I fantasize about
Biting into a Boston cream donut
Getting a tattoo of eagles across my collarbone
Reading all day long in my pajamas
Throwing china plates at the wall
(Not because I'm angry, but because it just looks so infinitely satisfying)
Dancing up the aisle during a quiet church service
Telling unfortunate women with thick thighs that they truly should not ever wear mini skirts
Eating peanuts, gluten, sugar and dairy with abandon
Refusing to cook dinner for a week
Buying full-priced clothes for myself
And posting something rabidly political on social media

But instead of such daring rebellion,
I brush and floss my teeth every day
Count my calories
Set the novels aside so I can meet my deadlines
Leave the china in the china cabinet and throw reading glasses instead
Sit reverently in church (um, usually)
Keep (some of) my opinions to myself
Cook endless dinners
And buy my clothes at Goodwill

Someday, I will rebel for a day
Or two
Maybe even get the tattoo
And the world will fail to notice