Wear The Years
(for my father)
I’m proud to wear the years
on my face & body
I played by my own rules
& made it this far
I didn’t take the downhill path
I learned, instead
to trust my instincts
to listen & respond & live
in real time
& make choices based on
my own experience
it’s true, love burned the ground
around me once or twice
but somehow I
always found my way
in the process I discovered
the sublime subtleties of existence
the grasp
that makes all the difference
you have to work a lifetime
to get here
& I did
I’m proud to wear the years