I was young once: I wanted
Fancy clothes and designer
Shoes and the perfect leather
Bag. I dined and traveled and
“Did” the museums – most
On the company’s dime.
I waited for my husband
To love me again; I waited
To fall again in love with him.
I waited for him to find
Someone else – and he did.
But I am only 35 you say?
The line between young and old
Is not so clear. Now I want only
The things of “old age.”
To wake up in the morning
Next to a man I love.
To watch the cat chase sunshine
Across a room. To see the sails
Or the whitecaps or the ice
Upon the water and by this
Know winter or summer. To hear
Birds and dogs and children
Playing. To see an old man
Feed squirrels in the park.
To go to bed at night knowing
I’ve accomplished some small
Thing – repotted a plant or cooked
A meal or written a poem.
My greatest worry? Those
overdue library books.
I was young once,
but I am done with that.