I Thought

getting old was free
but sometimes pricey on
special occasions

graying hair if lucky
for men and thinning in ladies

skin parched and rippled -- veins
as rivers of blue
eyes diminishing sights
creaky limbs once
like springs now rusty and thin.

Morning pills are popped
aching legs
climbing steps one and one
two --

a cane at times when the
sidewalk sways in the sun.

Ps. Be patient with your loved
ones in their later years. Unknown
to you their days may be masked
in painful moments.

© Richard L. Provencher