Aging (& Retirement)
Old Cat
Sometimes I think I’m going to end up all alone in a cold apartment living on cat food from a can but I guess that’s not so bad since I’m a cat after all.
Old Love Songs
We listened as he played the guitar & sang old love songs & then there was a moment we looked at each other & discovered we were much younger than other people might suspect & it was good to know we had that much more time together.
Old Map
this is a really old map so everything on it has disappeared (unless you can think really old thoughts)
Old Spirit
The feel of his spirit was too old for most people to understand & when he walked by they would look up & say O, the sun went behind a cloud, or, the moon must be full & so he walked for a long time by himself with no one to talk to.
Old Ways
Except for the running naked through the forest, there’s not a lot I miss.
On the Lookout
The two of them went riding off into the Future one day when they ran into a group of old people out looking for roots & when they stopped to see if they could help, all the old people laughed & said they had more experience. One woman said the Future wasn’t even there except for the bad parts, because the Future’s always worse than before & then the old people left, walking slowly, shouting at each other about the weather. The two of them looked at each other for a minute & then they said, let’s go off to the Future again & before they left they made a rule to keep on the lookout for old people.
Norm
Are you here to borrow money or to visit? He used to say
& I’d say it’s me, grandpa & then he’d say o hell,
come on in & visit anyway.
Multiple Shadows
these are multiple shadows because
there were a lot of things she walked
away from without a word of explanation
when she was younger & she still
thinks about them more than she needs to
Life Plan
I asked her what she planned to do with her life & she said she was way beyond that point already. I’m just happy I remember to be there when it happens, she said.
Laughter & Digestion
There are only 2 things I take seriously, my aunt said once. Laughter & my digestion. I’m too old to bother with more than that.
Knees
These knees have stories, she said, but they’d have to be a mouth to tell you.
Inner Space
There’s a lot of space in here I’m just starting to discover, my grandma told me not long ago, so I’m hoping my body holds out.
Hindsight (mother)
I didn’t listen to her because she was my mother
& wouldn’t know anything until I was much older.
Hobby
I’m just going to hide here in this paper bag until death comes, she said.
It could be a long time, I said. There was a pause & then her head popped out.
You think I should have a hobby while I wait? she said.
Hearing Voices
I used to hear voices a lot, but then I read up on it & found out they don’t exist, so now I don’t listen to a word they say.
Gross Anatomy
When I grow up, he said, I want to be just like you, except for the hairs in your ears & nose. That’s too gross, he explained.
Growing Fast
We grow a lot faster than trees, he said, so we miss a lot of stuff.
Generations
It came on her without thinking that she was the exact age as her mother was & no matter what, it would have been hard to leave & suddenly all the generations gathered around her in that small kitchen & held her close & they would have blocked the light if they had not come filled with their memories of love.
Getting Caught
I’ve never worried about getting older, he said. I’ve been too busy worrying about getting caught.
Ghosts of the Past
I’d probably have more trouble with the ghosts of the past, she said, if my memory wasn’t shot to hell.