Shadows and Sunlight by Yonlanda Griffiths

I remember being young and wild
Although my body forgets and betrays me
I peer out of this aging body
With a mind that still knows
Who, When, Where and How
When did fifty or even sixty seem like young?
Birthdays only serve as a yardstick for the outside
How can you measure what I feel on the inside?

My heart tears seeing friends disappear
Into places I only fear
My memories of yesteryear seem crystal clear
I close my eyes and feel myself running in the breeze
The crowds along the college track applauding my triumph
When the sound of my therapist
Cheering my toddling in a walker wakes me
I laughed out loud
And people shake their heads as if I'm half crazed
So many loses totaling into this single moment

The respect I had as a working man
still fills my chest with pride
My dearest Rosaline leaving me on Earth so quickly
Our dreams of travel and leisurely walks are gone
Saying goodbye to my neighborhood of 43 years
To move into a room with a stranger
Overhearing hushed voices of my son and daughter
As they discussed the exorbitant cost of my care outside my door
Then the frustrated voices in deciding who will take dad home

How did the tables turned so fast?
Ironically my children became my caretakers now
How can I express to those I love?
Do not grieve for my loses so deeply
As I still intend to live
As best as I can,
As much as you allow me
Keep open the windows of possibilities
Do not shut the door of life just yet.

(Yonlanda Griffiths)