Bucket List

Facing my own mortality, Paralyzed from the neck down, If I didn't have surgery. I couldn't absorb what the doctor said. Oh how I panicked, I couldn't breathe And likely to faint right on the floor. "Kick the bucket" entered my mind. Time taken or time remaining- A bucket list is a list of the "to dos" To be checked off, marked as complete. A wake-up call was in order, To reclaim my life and to live authentically. This only emboldened me to go on. It inspired me to write poetry. Four months ago I penned my first one. Still wearing my neck brace, I continue to write. I now experience in the here and now. It's easy to regret the roads not taken. Creating a better ending is what I'll do. I've reconsidered my notions of time. Waiting is risky, the future is always uncertain. Time is truly precious to me. Connie Gildersleeve 02/20/2013