My intent was to find a back-to-school poem. We have three grands in school now, a little sister in pre-K and two littles eager to start preschool next week. I'm not sure how we arrived here. Times flies! Anyway, when I opened poets.org, a poem found me. And I guess it fits in the back-to-school theme. If my six grands are growing up, then I must be aging.
You can read "Ode to Aging Bodies" here.
I enjoyed this bit of background provided by the poet, Jan Mandell:
“I drafted this poem in a writers’ workshop four years ago shortly after turning seventy. I had just lost my husband, was diagnosed with osteoporosis, had a hip replacement, and then, defiantly, I climbed down and up the Grand Canyon. This is an ode to honor aging bodies rather than to mourn them.”
Here are the final lines, a call to wake up daily, jubilant in our aging bodies:
"Calling to every aging body
to rise up
And do it all again"
(aka newtreemom)
ReplyDeleteThis poem and its call is so appreciated today! This week I finally scheduled a knee replacement surgery. I must rise each day to keep moving!
I don't envy you the surgery and recovery, but things will be much improved down the road.
DeleteThank you, Ramona! I can totally relate to the sights and sounds of the aging body.
ReplyDeleteI don't know time flies by so quickly! I'm going to share this one with my mum, who turned 73 this year. She rises each day to keep moving, and we're so glad she does, because I don't know how people manage raising littles without the help of their mothers!
ReplyDeleteRamona, thank you for sharing this poem. It's a winner, and made even more beautiful with the backstory. I love those closing lines. Yes, let's "rise up / And do it all again"
ReplyDeleteLove it, Ramona, certainly will share with a few friends! And I laughed at "a highly extroverted friend
ReplyDeletewho simply won’t shut up," - Ha! Best to your sweet grands growing, growing!
Love hearing from a defiant poet today! Thanks for this, I shared it with my parents.
ReplyDeleteoooof...and amen. I wish I didn't understand this poem and your introduction as well as I do. Last night I listened to a podcast, 'Slight Change of Plans' The topic was related to how aging beyond childhood, beyond parenthood lacks celebration. We need to change this.
ReplyDeleteYup. I shared a link to that poem last week...and this week, today in fact, my bunions started acting up. Dang it, body! Let me do all I want to do!
ReplyDelete