Old Age

Old Age

with old age
come its aches
and pains
and limitations
but
isn't it funny
how the ones
bemoaning the most
also
ignore
the duck soup
of old age
of most days
and weeks and months and years
that are:
watering plants
playing with pets
loads of TV
and the biggest
day to day concern
is how well
tomorrow's shit
is gonna drop
or if Andy Griffith
at 5 p.m.
is gonna be one
already watched
last month

it's a funny thing
the aches
pains
limitations
the defining things
screamed
about old age
while the cakewalk
of near
absolute 
hour to hour
leisure
something
only mentioned
in hushed
whispers
or secret
code

no
the upsides
and advantages
of old age
are its dirty little secret
kept hidden
as they hinder
the melodramatic effect
of all the suffering
from all the aches
pain
and leisure
in old age

and isn't it funny
how the ones
bemoaning the most
stubbornly and lazily
defined 
by nothing more
than old age
with nothing but time
for the beauty
of art
or nature
spend none
of their leisure
on them
since
the highest 
truest artform
and their preeminent beauty
is in the music
and melodrama
of all their
aches and pains