When We Were Not Old Nor Young

When we were not old nor young
we tracked and hunted,
it never occurred to us 
‘for what’.

Disasters were counted victories,
failings our strength,
and being oblivious, we were happy,
we were both lemmings and foxes,
clouds climbing cliffs.

On the steps of our body temples
we lingered with temple flower girls
who sold us kisses for prayers

and it was good, and just a step below
the groundhog days of this hedgerow
living.  

Now, we are the recorders 
of our middle histories
sewing patches and scrapes
to create stalking-horse words

as if we had never been those, 
the headlong and heedless,
when we were not 
young nor old.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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Krutsinger Avatar
October 27, 2020 at 6:03 PM
There is such a braveness to this one. I feel it will linger with me for a long time.
Ashford Avatar
October 28, 2020 at 10:30 AM
Thank you Caren, you are insightful. e
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