Gershon Wolf Poet Rhyme

A Strange Stage of Life

There's a stage of life which makes no sense at all
   Its essence, anti-life -- not about our rise, but our fall

Almost from the get-go, the plan is to succeed
   We shed our diapers, dress ourselves, learn to read

We go to school and do our best, focused on passing life's test
   Leaning on the record we've built as we leave the nest

Then set out for the military, the university, a trade or a job
   The goal, a comfortable living -- so we don't have to steal or rob...

We work and we struggle, we struggle and work, for 40, 50+ years, and what?
   The arrow points to retirement, a vapid lifestyle where our senses shut

Down to everything we've been doing up to that point, leaving behind
   The hustle and the sweat, the rat-race and struggle, for a year or nine 

Of golf or tennis?  Of walking or swimming?  Of reading or sleeping
   or just overeating?  Sure, some get to 'travel the world,' the 2% reaping

The bounty of riches, of wealth and good health.  But for many of us, drained
   from the work-a-day grind, we live out our days in boredom -- if not
                                                                                    agony and pain...

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Kurt Ravidas April 30, 2019 at 4:11 AM Bitter and deep poetry, Wolf. J'aime. P.S.: The most disgusting stage of life is when you are dead, and your relatives have to deal with your rapidly decaying body. Funerals and everything related to them make me sick. If humans disappeared after death, I would be able to accept the imperfection of life. Gershon Wolf April 30, 2019 at 9:08 AM There is something, then, to the Psalmist's words: "Ashes to ashes; dust to dust..." and to the Mishnaic statement: "Be exceedingly humble, for the hope of man is but the worm." (R. Levitas, a Sage of Yavneh, 'Pirkey Avoth' 4:4 ~ 1,900 years ago). At any rate, I won't give you a referral for any embalming positions I come across. LOL. Thanks for the observation, Kurt. Best wishes, Gershon