Monday, July 18, 2016

A journey of choices

frail hands,
frailer words 

skin, canvas of bruises
red-brown, slow to heal from falls
old age, an inevitable arrival

time, rushing mirror on wheels,
plays your memories on gramaphone

I'm rivered too 
sun-parched by your journey
but I must thirst still for life's mysteries



                                                             @Grace


Posted for D'verse Poets - 5th year D'verse celebration - Monday's celebration is a special interview of Brian Miller and the poetry prompt is 44 word post with the word Journey.     Please join us for a poetry feast from Monday to Friday, July 18 to 22 as we celebrate 5th year anniversary of D'verse.   

I just came back from visiting my folks and I thought a lot about growing old.


42 comments:

  1. This makes me weep. I think of my frail mother when I read this. Beautiful work in this.

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  2. Always thirst for life's mystery - it's what keeps us putting one foot in front of the other. Wonderful poem, Grace.

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  3. Oh I just came back from a weekend visiting my mother... she cannot speak properly and sits in a wheelchair... so I'm deeply touched by this... tomorrow we will visit my mother in law.

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  4. So much to relate to here...it comes upon us quickly. I spent most of my life caring for the elderly and now, voila!

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  5. This is so beautiful and poignant at the same time. We all thirst for answers to the mysteries of life.. sigh..

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  6. I like this Grace. The ending is so apt. Lovely writing that reminded me of my own parents, now gone.

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  7. Gosh, this is so moving, reminds me of my grandma.

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  8. What a coincidence; I did the 6 1/2 hour round trip yesterday to spend an hour in the care home with my mum. Your poem has touched a chord. My mum is so frail now she spends all day in an armchair or wheelchair, unable to communicate - this time last year she was dragging me round the corridors introducing me to everyone. Now her hands are like bird claws.

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  9. Journey of aging
    a sure way for those
    who survive life.. noW
    lost from emotions
    death at
    1.. 2.. 3
    from social
    abuse.. and
    neglect..
    groWinG
    old
    can
    be oh..
    so young too...
    as nicely played by
    my crippled 94 year old
    great aunt who could just
    tell her pain to go away with a
    a life of spiritual strength
    in relative free will..
    while i at 47
    then.. had
    no spirit at
    all or Emotions
    to speak of even
    dark.. to escape
    any pain @aLL..
    yes.. there
    are so many worse
    things in life than
    physical
    aging..
    like
    a death as living..
    young too and
    even
    @2...
    oR A
    sUnShine
    Ray briGht
    heArt @94
    no matter
    crippled feet
    a hEart as
    SpiRit
    may
    never age
    and iN fACt
    ONlY GrOW..
    God.. i'M glad
    i have that perspective
    as i never ever worry about
    aging as i've already been dead in life..
    for oh
    a thousand
    years in a second
    even too... as
    there is
    no time
    in life as dead...
    so i CELEBRATE
    LIKE NO ONE ELSE..
    AND
    lEArn
    my way
    FReED..
    Perspective..
    'JoB'.. FeeLs
    better than know..
    in form of wiLted
    Rose thAt sTilL SinGs..:)

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  10. Lovely capture, Grace. It reminds me of my parents.

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  11. It's great to the thirst for life. I have moments where I feel it waning but then it resurrects. Love your poem.

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  12. I thought of my own elderly mother...becoming more frail. These quadrilles are bringing me tears...

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  13. Loved the image of "mirror on wheels." It seems to sum things up pretty well.

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  14. It does seem that as we grow older, that time passes faster, and our memories of times gone by comes to the forefront of our mind. Beautifully written and poignant.

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  15. We are all thirsting for life. It's expectation keeps us hanging on a promise of more. Thanks Grace!

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  16. So emotive - beautifully crafted and eloquent. I really felt this piece.

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  17. I'm glad you had a visit with your folks, Grace, and you have captured well the poignancy of watching them age while you are still young and vital. How they must have loved seeing you! Loved hearing about Brian's doings at dVerse, I have missed him, as have we all.

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  18. I worked many years in long term care settings - you've captured this part of life's journey so well.

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  19. aging, a journey in time captivated so beautifully and poignantly Grace..."I'm rivered too"..an amazing expression..Brian's interview was a lovely celebration on dVerse's five year journey with pleasant memories...

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  20. I miss Brian ... Love, cat.

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  21. I'm thinking a lot about aging too - am about to visit my parents soon. I love the way you used 'river' as a verb, and the sharp contrast between that and 'sun parched by your journey'... and yet the thirst for life, for knowing, goes on. Wonderful!

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  22. i reflect upon my own aging being that when my mother passed eight years ago, she being the only parent, i began reflecting from her aging into my own.

    beautiful artistically nuanced poem in reflection of aging, mi amiga

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  23. having long ago faced down my mortality and even longer ago started to break "things" with my skin--the only true notice I have of my own aging, Grace, is I am losing my hearing. i could say it is because I used to listen to overwhelming loud rock & roll, but I know it was the Mozart and Bach. Bwahahahaha

    *meh* We all age, some with great concerns over the effect of the process and others can simply accept that a calendar page does not define them.

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  24. I loved the expression "I'm rivered" what a poignant sensation I get from it - your poem is very moving and all too close to home. Bastet

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  25. This is so beautiful. The description of frail hands, skin....so beautifully poignant in writing about our elderly who have seen times we've not. And I especially love this line "plays your memories on gramaphone"

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  26. Looking for more humans sure do, age sure can suck too

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  27. Beautiful and heart-breaking. xx

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  28. Such a tender look at the journey of aging.

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  29. Life's mysteries, indeed! The most mysterious of moments were found in my Mom's final days. You have captured that so well.

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  30. A tender rending. Life's mysteries remain unsolved, no matter how resolved we are to find the answers. Great poem, Grace!

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  31. A journey we have no choice in taking but only in how we live it (or at least try to). Finding hope and meaning in the elderly years must be a challenge to many. I love "I'm rivered". Watching our parents is perhaps a way to prepare us for our own journey of aging.

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  32. "Thirst still for life's mysteries" - yes, we should lest we grow tired and bored too soon. :-)

    ~Imelda

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  33. Old age--an inevitable journey! True. "time, rushing mirror on wheels" is an intriguing image!

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  34. Time just doesn't stop for anyone, right? Your poem touches upon the decline brought by time, but leaves love intact.

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  35. sun-parched by your journey
    but I must thirst still
    for life's mysteries

    Growing older but still allowing oneself to venture out to seek life's goodness to spice up living gracefully!

    Hank

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  36. Great title. It's a journey of choices all the way through, I think.

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  37. Beautifully reflective poem. "time, rushing mirror on wheels" Several breath-catching moments here. The line reminds me of a post I saw that talked about looking into the mirror first thing in the morning and uttering, "That can't be right!"

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  38. Thanks, Grace, for sharing this poignant perspective on the frailty of aging...and the thirsty choices of younger generation.

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  39. We must always thirst for life's mysteries with the hope we will be given sweet sips of life.

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  40. This is poignant and beautifully written. I feel sad reading this and yet hopeful. Loss of a loved one is painful but one picks up his life and goes on.

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