Old Age

It came upon me unawares As I bargained to make a living. Thus absorbed in daily cares The years I deemed forgiving. Getting old was ages away I told myself each new year. "I'm still young," I liked to say, "I'm certain to stay right here." But the clock began to chime Messages in muted tones. I was running out of time, A blackening in the bones. I felt it too in others' acts Addressing me as sir. They excused my mislaid facts Ever pretending I didn't err. A godly mercy attends old age, The past becomes a blur. It eases one off life's stage Thinking things that never were.