THE PASSING OF THE
YEARS
I’ve done some
thinking lately
And it somehow
frightens me,
Just how the years
are passing
And the changes that
I see.
My body tells me I am
older
But in my mind I am
still a girl
Taking on the world’s
great problems
With a flourish and a
swirl.
I still have a sense
of justice
As I had once before,
It’s my body that is
aging
In my mind I’m twenty
four.
Marching in a protest
Standing for what I
believe.
I did that again at
fifty five
No changes I
perceive.
Thirty years have passed
Since I first gave
birth
To see my “baby”
fully grown
The greatest joy on
earth.
I have passed the
baton on
To another daughter
bold
Whose heart so wide
and open
The whole world it
could hold.
Brown spots upon my
hands
Oh gosh - Oh deary
me.
That only happens to
older folk ~
But it is happening
to me!
I still feel the same
about things,
And still love and
think and feel
All the things I
always felt –
But there are wounds
which will not heal.
I still feel the barb
of great injustice
To the people of the
world.
I still weep great
tears of sorrow
As another grenade is
hurled.
Once I would have
stood outside Offices
And told them the
thoughts in my head,
But arthritis in my
feet now pains me
So I’ll email them
instead.
It’s not a glamorous
business
This growing older
day by day,
But I try to do it
with dignity
And watch the things
I say.
Yes I am growing
older
And I don’t like it
very much. ~
It takes me about
twice as long
To do only half as
much.
I still weep at
nature’s beauty
And friendships kindly
ways,
The dewdrop on a
summer rose
Crisp and misty
autumn days.
Birthdays at thirty,
forty, fifty
All came and went
away.
I really am quite
grateful
For each and every
day.
So as I look in the
mirror
And see the lines upon
my face,
I try to recall the
things I’ve done
And the memories I
retrace.
I am glad I have
these wrinkles
They are a map of the
years,
They tell the story
of my life
Of the laughter and
the tears.
So growing old is a
blessing
And thankful I will
be
For all the friends
who have supported
And travelled this
road with me
© Linda J. Vaughan
