When I'M Eighty-Four

When I was 20, I met men a plenty And I made a match with as many As I could And all the while my face split With snotty trails of my travails When I was 30, I quite dirty Ran down the aisle in pure white Trying to fight Off the smile that threatened To overtake my rationality With love leaking down my cheeks When I was 40, I a shepherd to shorty They gathered round for my stories Wished them more gory I scolded them into corners Of the room and my heart Face contorted with discipline When I was 50, being thrifty Paid off for me and mine Why I went on vacation And they to college And he to another's arms My face knew not which way to go When I was 60, I was gifted With second motherhood Twice removed of my duties My face relit with joy and the chance to spoil them Now I am 80, I think And from many memories I still drink For I would much rather have My visage cracked from wisdom and laughter Than be dampened with rivers of regret -------------- Title is inspired by a Beatles song. I was thinking about it and the last verse came to mind after a discussion with a friend about regret.