"LeftOvers"
*the mid-life thing
Lyne Johnson
We're reading a poet…,philosopher, seems…friend
Written in eloquence with Ben Franklin's pen.
The house is so quiet. No more the loud noise!
Where have our boys gone? Gone to make their own choice.
The paths of tomorrow are carved by today;
The decision for "family" helped make our way.
We ponder the future in a hush of dismay,
Knowing our lives have now changed in some ways.
We share memories of fun, and pure love for our boys;
Their school days and ball games; of friends and their joys.
The fun summer evenings; the wood burning stove;
The morning we caught them out "peeing" in the snow!
We're both sentimental as Hallmark depends,
We choke rather quickly when thinking of them
We know now our children must learn without us,
Though we'd still love to see them jump off the school bus.
We have all of their antics, their tantrums, and trials;
Their secrets, first jobs, and sweet girlfriends on file.
When evenings are long and the work is all done,
On the front porch, remembering will be our kind of fun.
The autumn of life need not meet with fears,
For we trust that for us, there will be many more years.
While the sweet fruit of our life has fallen from the tree;
It yields grandkids…so great…that fills us with glee!
What will we do now, and where will we go?
We know that together, we still have love's glow.
The fire is still burning and the moonlight is clear…
Still we do love to "spoon" in a soft easy chair.
He caresses my skin, which can still bring a blush
Yet his caring massage brings a pleasurable rush.
We may enjoy walking without holding hands,
But the times we are close form unbreakable bands.
More quiet and tired; yet, we'd walk to the store;
The housework gets done …but not quick as before.
Our "Sooner" walks with us; and minds when we call!
So see, we've achieved something great…after all!
We may have good bodies, our health and our charm;
But life in our 50's makes us want to pump iron.
We're both getting ornery, and love a good joke.
We can still eat eggs, but none with a yoke!
The chance to go freely, and find new things to do
Is a fun thing to think of as our choices renew.
The years still ahead, have a hope all their own
One is seeing our children independent and grown.
There's still purpose, and travel, the wildlife preserve;
The experiences that call us may require some nerve.
We can do it, we're free now…no children at home.
There's parties, and the ball games; we can go it alone.
We may do something silly like construct a new shed!
Or return to our beings, eating pizza in bed…
We'll date at the DQ for Saturday night's fun…
But we'll call first, and ask if we can take our grandson!
Return to the Spring 1999 Entries
NATIVE TONGUES
Fall 1998/Spring 1999: Volume 8, Edition 1
Southern Nazarene University
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