Clifford Dehaven Poet Free verse

To Grow Old

I am going to grow old 
suddenly.
it will happen one day 
while eating peanut butter 
worrying about a lie I told 
thirty-seven years ago 
wondering whatever happened 
to that one special girl 
absently watching but not 
comprehending 
some old blurry 
near-memorized 
perry mason 
episodes 
while Oppenheimer's 
borrowed eyes conceal
a black and white mind 
become a hummingbird now 
but not a regular hummingbird 
instead a drunken listless 
embarrassed spastic wreck 
of a dark hummingbird
bouncing off walls 
spitting and
cursing 
 
 
I am going to grow old 
suddenly.
it will happen one day 
the moon appearing
and disappearing
only my ancestors 
may count these seasons 
this empty coliseum
now lacking 
a hero
or crowd 
the dust in his teeth
reminds him
that the christians
and the lions
left together long ago
their memories
and yours
like fiery 
tumbleweeds
for the
prairie
mind


I am going to grow old 
suddenly.
it will happen one day 
a hardly remembered
mummy
with crown of white hair
the boot-heel king
old briar
blissfully unaware
the fragile conspiracy 
of synapse
absently clicking through
channels
with his box full of hints
that he gave up for lent
some tobacco
and stained
flannels

 
I am going to grow old 
suddenly.
it will happen one day 
and no one will be here 
to know 
the last man on earth 
yet negotiating for space 
for the digging of holes 
for the burying of jars 
for the cataloging 
of clever treasures 
a plump endless cycle 
known only to him 
delicate old brain 
always fluttering
now folding up
the origami 
of years

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Barbara Gorelick July 2, 2011 at 12:40 PM whew..what a great piece. The origami of life..what a thought. BG