A blessing for growing old
The winter of our lives
From my collection of my poems:
Reminder to self
Winter comes
We know it will
The light fades
Days are shorter
And the days we have are also numbered.
Who can endure the winter of our lives
The barren trees
The frozen ground
The fight with the elements
The heavy lift to just fill daily needs
To get out of the chair
To go to the store
To go down in the cellar for jars of canned beans
Who can welcome the winter of our lives
The stasis
The gray horizons
The doubt another spring will come
Winter is serious work
Shedding expectations
Of eternal spring
Voluptuous summer
Abundant fall
Getting down to the root
The bones of the trees
The sagging face in the mirror
Go ahead
Winter in the tropics
Put on make up and
Rings on your fingers
Party with people half your age
Hire help
Dance
Travel in groups
Drink Ayahuasca
Go ahead
It’s all permitted
But never forget
That you are in the season of winter
And winter has work to do
Nourish your roots
Celebrate the bones that will be all that is left of you
Allow
Don’t resist
Know the soul is getting ready to die
And, perhaps, be born again
In a wet little body
Fresh from a womb
Give that next you
Your bundle of wisdom
Your clean slate
Your blessings
Your willingness to let go
Don’t curse winter
It’s part of life’s cycles
Be grateful for the harvest
For the adventures
The mistakes
The chances to love
For all the wonder your eyes have seen
All the pleasures your body has felt
All the fascinations of the mind
Send the honey of your life
Down to your roots
To grow, again, a health tree
Think of the massive gray cedar with a tuft of green
Think of the wizened and gnarled Juniper, swept sideways by winds
Hanging on to the cliff above the sea
Think of the elephants
The whales
The green shark half a millennium old
Don’t we revere these mighty aged ones
Be that for your people
Be old as a gift
Be wizened, attract those who need wisdom
Be quiet as balance for the noise
Be vigorous in the inner work of age
Be free
Striding, with joy
Towards a far horizon
Be old
Be winter
Be wise
… and never stop learning! Which I did by looking up Ayahuasca… :)
Love this so much dear Vicki. I have just one problem, which is with the advice to fly to the tropics travel in groups…… so few people in this time of rapidly accelerating collapse of all systems are willing to give up behaviors that actually increase carbon, spread other toxicity, and use up money that could be better spent to build resilient community or help Save starving people all over the planet. I actually believe flying is unethical now and when it gets right down to, it can actually be called murderous…. Both in the doing a bit…. And not using those funds to save lives all around the globe. I have few allies in this belief except people who deeply understand systems collapse./multi crisis/poly crisis and are willing to be part of slowing the glide for the sake of our children and all beings.
And again your gift is such a wonder for those of us making peace with aging just as it is. 🌍💜🙏🏼