Age and Obstacles

Sloth-like she shuffles
each stride an argument
against unwilling muscles,
ignores spasms, lips pursed
in concentration, advances

Cockeyed he totters,
step…hop…step, poker-hot
stabs punctuating his effort
moves swiftly as if to out run
pain, face set in determination

They are out of sync, oddball
awkward sightseers, obstacles
for the fast-moving able-bodies
that whir past unable to fathom
motivation in crooked spines.

The race here is against time,
propelled by insatiable thirst,
they forage for snippets worthy
of hoarding, squirrels readying
for winter’s harsh call, days

when minds still alert will hunger
despite bodies inert, they will
dine on memory, boast about
the daring, reminisce fondly
over adventures hard won.

(A portrait of aging, first published in 2017. Image my own)

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VJ

Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

51 thoughts on “Age and Obstacles”

  1. You have so excellently expressed the obstacles of aging, VJ. So relegable. I am trying hard so not to become a liability but aging is cruel…

    I simply loved the image, clear water, reflection, everything is marvelous.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Such an accurate portrayal of aging. I was thinking that just the word “Obstacles” as the title describes it perfectly. Life is one after another, after another. lol We either overcome or succumb. Loved it, and your image, VJ.

    Liked by 3 people

  3. Such a poignant and vivid portrayal of aging—it captures both the struggles and the resilience so beautifully. The imagery of “dining on memory” is especially touching, a reminder of the treasures we carry within.

    Liked by 4 people

  18. I love your poem, VJ. Not looking forward to this stage of life (if I’m lucky enough to live that long). However, there are little signs that hint of it on the horizon. *sigh* You know what George Bernard Shaw said: “Youth is wasted on the young.”

    Liked by 3 people

  20. Captivating words and image, VJ
    The last stanza “when minds still alert will hunger
    despite bodies inert, they will
    dine on memory, boast about
    the daring, reminisce fondly
    over adventures hard won.”

    Soo good👏💕

    Liked by 4 people

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