MUSINGS OF A NONAGENARIAN

John Dixon Elder – 10/1/2024

I like music with a melody,

I like poetry that rhymes.

I like coins jingling in my pocket –

Nickles, quarters, pennies, dimes.

I read my books in paper

Though e-books are all the rage;

My finger marks the place I’m at,

If I flip a different page.

When a credit card’s not needed,

I write a check to pay my bill.

When the internet collapses,

I’ve a written record still.

I don’t “enter” numbers on my phone,

I “dial” them “up” instead.

I can read and write in cursive,

Do mathematics in my head,

Drive a car that has a choke

And a clutch to shift the gears.

All this just might suggest

I’m getting on in years.

I huff and puff when climbing stairs,

I’m unsteady on my feet.

When younger folks are standing up,

I’m glad to take a seat.

I’ve lost a bit of weight,

So my waist size now is smaller.

Though I strive to stand up straight,

I used to be much taller.

I admit I have some hearing loss,

And I’m challenged at night seeing,

So far, my bowels work quite well,

And I have no trouble peeing.

I’ve been told I’m diabetic;

I’ve no feelings in my feet,

But that makes me more sympathetic

Toward diabetics that I meet.

I can remember things from long ago,

Tell stories of my early life,

Though I may forget my neighbors’ names,

Or, some day, I fear, my wife’s.

Still, my doctors say I’m doing fine,

Though when one asked, quite decently,

“And are you active sexually?”

I did confess: “Not recently!”

Indeed, I’ve lived through many a change,

Not always for the best,

But when required I could adapt,

Now, when I can, I rest.