painting by Elizabeth Chapman
Atrophy
“Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool
with a rope.”--George Burns
It can be hard to feel good
about your aging body, as
it no longer can be taken for
granted, while arthritis, edema
and terrible balance can nullify
the pursuits & interests of youth.
Wisdom is a poor substitute for vigor.
Divers doors begin to slam shut,
and have to be opened by others.
Activities and former daily agenda
are no longer actual viable options.
Even fond memories become sour milk
as real choices cascade off the calendar
like ghostly flakes of dead skin.
Glenn Buttkus
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub
Well, that George Burns quotation is hilarious! And I can just hear him saying it with that very dry sense of humor he had.
ReplyDeleteThe last three lines of your post are a killer here. Interesting -- we've sort of gone the opposite ways today with our poems. One thing I am certain of Glenn, with your rapier wit, I am certain like with you would be a joy at any age :)
I especially liked that second stanza and these two lines: "Divers doors begin to slam shut,
ReplyDeleteand have to be opened by others." And the memories like sour milk. Very nice description.
I feel you on that aging body and how it can really impact our activities. What used to be so easily done is now very difficult with all the health issues. Hopefully there are still some things we can enjoy, no matter what.
ReplyDelete"It can be hard to feel good
ReplyDeleteabout your aging body, as
it no longer can be taken for
granted"
Oh, man, I hear ya. And don't the doctors seem like kids?
True mY
ReplyDeleteFriEnd
Glenn
All tHat's
Left of
ThiS
SHell
is thE Love
We Give to Others
And what's to
Share of That
STILL LiVinG
And True Trump
Towers For Those
Who Count
Dracula
Labels
As
LiFELiViNG
I love to walk through poems like this... observing the stitching and the weave.
ReplyDeleteI like this one for its honesty and matter-of-fact approach to 'elder life'...a bridge we must all
cross one day. Excellent
Now you are bringing ghosts out of the closet that we always deny existed. Not a fun ending to the funhouse ride!!
ReplyDeleteas real choices cascade off the calendar
ReplyDeletelike ghostly flakes of dead skin.
Aging can be distressing in this situation. There has to be a point of finality perhaps!. Sadly though but with George's quote I see this as humor, Glenn, makes me smile!
Hank
I can feel the reality of life, aging is difficult on the body and mind. I think it's the spirit that keeps one young and alive. Your final lines are haunting.
ReplyDeleteYou always find the best quotations, Glenn! And then you follow them up with hard-hitting lines of your own, especially:
ReplyDelete'Wisdom is a poor substitute for vigor'
and
'Even fond memories become sour milk
as real choices cascade off the calendar
like ghostly flakes of dead skin'.
It's hard to accept aging, as the best yet to come is now behind us. A sense of humor is no panacea, but it helps most anything. The discomfort is borne out in your exceptional poetry.
ReplyDelete"Wisdom is a poor substitute for vigor": I think that your words both attest to and contradict this central motif because it is wisdom that makes that statement possible after all.
ReplyDeleteIt's personal and honest, it's cathartic in a way, and oddly evocative. Despite being what one would call a youth, I can relate to it because of my own health concerns.
That last line is bang on. So very well-penned. :-)
This is superb about ageing but also terrifying. Love the humour in the quote.
ReplyDeleteYour poem made me laugh, but sadly because I am learning to relate. I turned 50 with a crash--into someone else's car. And already (after 2 months) I have 3cm atrophy in my right leg. I feel like a young person trapped inside an aging body, and I'm not ready for it. Perhaps my favorite line is "Wisdom is a poor substitute for vigor." Thank you for the delightful poem.
ReplyDeleteIt ain't easy, hard to put a shine on it, it just ain't easy. Skillful, and yes, vigorous, complaint. I think sometimes it is everybody's right to shout back at entropy a little. I like your style.
ReplyDeleteExcellent description of reality, without delving too deep and dark.
ReplyDelete