Gray Matters
Today I met a woman of one hundred and one years
All her faculties in full cooperation
And while hypnotized by her discernment
What in hindsight was most likely a fleeting thought
Is now a conceivable notion
A true encounter with the aging
Is one rarely forgotten
Consider this exchange the cliff notes to a world education
Free of charge
She speaks direct
Her thoughts, fluent and uninhibited
Every message delivered in concise no nonsense tones
There is nothing to be confused or misconstrued
Truth trumps all in the era from which she hails
She speaks only of what is known from experience
And the passion in her recollection tells me there is nothing embellished
Her wisdom is astounding
Never has a one way conversation seemed so riveting
But I cling to her every word
As though my life hangs in the balance
Awe stricken by her penetrating delivery
She is a well traveled almanac
A complimentary set of unopened encyclopedias
She has bore witness to things I have only studied in text
Indeed she wears her years on her face
Her walk is a slow and deliberate pace
She may even force you to put on hold your impatience
Due to brittle bones or any number of other ailments she may own
Any number of things unforeseen that one day find us all
And with hair that’s as gray and firm as steel wool
Do not see her for a fool
Because while fools may chatter
The wise will surmise,
Such rare constitutions greatly matter
And they are vital to the evolution of us all
They are too often shunned
Frequently preyed upon
Relished as choice game for the swindlers
But let us never forget
Let us always remember
These crucial ties must never be severed
To access these vaults you need only pull the lever
And there you shall find what takes little to no time
To discover what is truly the most splendid hidden treasure
Copyright©2013 by Daryl R. Gaines. All rights reserved
Copyright © Daryl Gaines | Year Posted 2014
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