Susan Bassler Pickford, Member-at-Large in Lyman, Maine
Navigating the dangerous passage of old age
Between rocks and eddies
One side covered with indifferent, defeatist attitudes
Devil- may- care, rock hard, reckless neglect of common sense
That leads to early shipwreck and ruin
The other siren calling women to excessive concern about their looks
Compulsive swirling attention to the body
The scale and mirror cruel arbiters of reality
How to find the middle way
How to steer oneself to the best case scenario
How to propel oneself reasonably
Through the narrow straits
Of
Growing Old
Great treatment here. Bravo!
Beautiful description of the Winter Years for many of us living the experience. Sue, I remain amazed a t your talent and ability to sum up pieces of our lives so clearly and with such sensitivity. Love this poem!
that about sums it up! 🙁
Beautifully written thoughts on the gift of aging.
Odysseus had the choice, as per Circe, to lean toward Scylla, (rocks) former nymph turned sea monster and lose 6 men or toward Charybdis, a maelstrom and lose everyone.
If we, as women, feel we must choose between bad and worse, how will we have time to dwell on our talents. Aging is not for sissies.
You certainly use your gift of poetry to relay a difficult message. Loved it.
One of the best, and most poetic, descriptions of what it is like to be old. As I get ready for another birthday, thank you. This offers simple depth, without the platitudes of how age doesn’t matter.