The Golden Years
Those older and wiser advised
“Make time, travel the world,
before you retire, while you still can.”
I dreaded my golden years.

I understood that my final decades
would be fraught with infirmity,
pain, and misery. If not a shut in,
my good times would be shut down.

For years, my job had been my life.
Almost every hour, it consumed me.
I no longer must obsess over it
or worry about the whims of my boss.

Fortunately, I stayed healthy.
Now I have the time to do the things
I’ve wanted. I can hike the national parks,
sing in a chorale, or write a poem.

I can volunteer in a homeless shelter.
I can play tennis or golf, go dancing,
attend concerts or ballgames, travel
any place a plane will take me.

I no longer see my children’s behavior
as a reflection of my identity.
I have the gift of grandchildren.
for whom I am not responsible,

I enjoy them for who they are.
No longer in charge of anyone but me,
I am almost never asked for advice
As a rule I avoid arguments.

The best part is getting to know
my wife and partner with one-on-one time.
She is not the girl I married, but better,
wise and discerning in all her ways.

My life has become one of joy,
My life sentence is to do whatever
I want, whenever I want, with whomever
I want, for whatever time I have left.