I tell myself-‘What is gone cannot be retrieved’
Though to me, old has ever been and always gold
You cannot reverse time’s swift current
In its wake come sudden changes many
In dress, manners, concepts, values and what not
Do not oppose change, though it may annoy
With progressive intensity and constancy
You will lose your wit, sense and sight
So think before you speak, look before you leap
Lest you head into deep trouble straight
Friends, colleagues and even your own children
May grow disrespectful and indifferent
And may not consult you in matters vital
But try not to see it as a serious affront.
Weakness of the body will lead you to irritation
But control yourself and try to keep cool
If annoyed, keep away from the scene, do not interfere
‘Live and let live’- may it be the guiding rule
Eat not everything that tempts your palate
Control your food and restrain your urge
For your digestive system may break down
And you may soon become a pestering scourge!
Within your body may dwell a spirit, still so agile
(Though with age, your torso grows consistently frail)
Prompting you to youthful acts and deeds of daring
But remember, one false step can land you in peril
If your eyesight is not seriously impaired
Into the pages of good books you leisurely pore
They will open new worlds and amuse n’ delight
And you’ll never find those timeless tomes a bore
Or if you can string words in some coherent order
With weird fancies and a little imagination to accompany
Write poetry! Then none will see you an intruder
Wedded to solitude, you’ll never groan for company!
Once with the Muse, nothing will ever disturb you
On fancy’s wings, to magic lands you can easily commute
Swim across an ocean, climb a mountain or elope with a damsel,
Lost to the world, to all its fret n’ fever…. so blissfully lost!