Connie Pachecho Poet Free verse

On Turning Fifty

on turning fifty


on turning fifty
today i looked in the rear view mirror
look back into the past
and see a speeding car go by
a decrepit car at that
unwashed, unkempt
with the driver having his nose in the air
the parallels to my life
more so with that car and driver epitomizing year fifty
... for my body and mind fringes on decrepitness, too
i reminiscence even more ...
at all the cars speeding by
all a blur
like the years of my life going by
in rapid succession
like i am ... how you say ... on a perfunctory march
i am, as we all are
my march, though, less happier than yours
fifty was a few years ago
and my nose stretches a little
how cute ... at least something still stretches
in my peripheral
the end of the freeway is near
how can it not be?
the aches and pains keep adding up
but what's eating me 
are not the years going by
or the aches and pains
... it's having regrets
yes, regrets ...
it's taking the wrong fork in the road
earlier in life
and not having a foundation now
or having anything to show
it's watching everyone else tending to their
beautiful harvest ... as they turn fifty
their crops yielding and bountiful and rosy
i say bravo to them with all sincerity
yet how can this be ... my head shaking
and my harvest just a tumbleweed wreath of unplanted seeds, 
unfulfilled dreams
... i hear a faint voice now of i told you so
yes mom you were so right
...what was that mom angels angels zap him,
zap him don't let him submit that...
huh? I can't hear you.

connie pachecho

4/13/17

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Connie Pachecho March 17, 2025 at 1:05 AM Here I am reading poems of the past But what excites me are the warm comments that gives me the burst that prompts into writing the next one. Thank you.

Eye Truth-Teller May 16, 2017 at 6:35 PM Old is not bad

Anil Deo April 15, 2017 at 8:43 PM Connie, in all humility & with unbounded zeal I say, Doug Vinson speaks wisdom.U are here ... U made it this far -touching lives through poetry. Mistakes & victories gave us our poems, our words, our prayers for ourselves & others. I do pray for all who suffer in any way ... and I keep saying, God is EVER on the Throne. amen and shalom! Anil Deo (aka princess, LOL)

Doug Vinson April 15, 2017 at 12:32 AM YES. Now this is what I am talking about. I love such things, Connie. 50 was 8 years ago for me, I can relate to a good bit of it. Sounds trite to say, but each day is the first of the rest of our lives. Can let our past and our regrets guide us in the future, but it's fairly rare to be able to really fix things from the past. But of course you know that. Been forced to confront my own foolishness this week, bigtime. Cheers, Doug.