Shimmering and Diaphanous

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I wish, when referring to people
Of a certain age,
News Reporters
For example
Would stop saying
That they are
For example
Sixty years young.

Because that implies
Shame arrives
Right on time
Once you become
Of a certain age.

Now while I will cannot
In good faith fully
Endorse
Aging
For the ease of its
Partnership
Or its general amiable
Nature
I will say this
There is much to love in Act Three
Which is
The best part of
Any clever
Movie
When all the puzzles pieces
Finally comes together
And you find out
Who dunnit
Or if there will be
A happy ever after
Ending
For the characters that
You love.

Throughout our lives
With every challenge
And crushing blow
We have systematically become the keepers of
Our Storm battered
Lighthouse bodies
Whose ancient, Argand lamps
Have escorted us to the safety of the
Shores
Despite those decades of squalls
That ended the innocent lives
of so many dreams
lost to sea.

But that light also
Illuminated our souls
And made purposeful
Our scars
And wrinkles
Which have become the
Critical landmarks
On the
Geographic map
Of who we are
And where we have been.
And it has left us at once
Shimmering and
Diaphanous
Obliterating pretense
Leaving in its wake
Hearts as transparent
As clarity
And as fragile as loss
Which have become
the fountainhead of
Our strength
And the genesis of our faith.

We no longer have
time.
Time has us.

But still, within that tick tick framework
Is our sense of immediacy that
We do good
Be good
Slap away fools
Honor anything that is authentic and beautiful
Stand up for the little guy
And gal
Welcome any dog that you meet
Like a returning war hero
(Thanking them for their service)
Chase the tide like a taffy legged toddler
Be in awe of sunsets like the beach is your death bed
Turn elevator music into you own
Personal Karaoke machine
Never feel guilty about anything that brings
You inexhaustible pleasure
And know that we always
Always
Had everything we wanted
And needed
In those holiest of moments
When we were loved
And courageous enough
to love back.

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