The older I get
the more I relish the quiet tranquillity of my own company.
I reflect more on life’s simple gifts, like beautiful unexpected smiles,
vivid flowers sprouting wild through cracks in the road;
sitting on a bench in the serenity of the shade,
looking at ambitious ripples scavenge the river’s edge;
laughing at myself refereeing the playful mischief of my children.

The older I get
the more sustenance I reap in the eyes of my loved ones,
and from the intoxicating delight of real conversation.
or the more I want to explore the powerful depth of a simple touch;
for I now understand the feeling of completeness found in cuddles and longish hugs.

The older I get
the more eager I am to kick up my heals and rock the boats.
I refuse to settle, to follow someone else’s dreams
or blindly trying to meet their expectations.

The older I get
the greater my desire to journey into the precious unknowns;
for I know how to treasure unexpected moments when gifted to me.
Incidentally, now I seek fewer new friendships.
I care deeply for the one I have; and adore the soft, precious jade of their flowers.
Likewise, I no longer curse the enterprise of my enemies
for they too fortify me and keep me sharp.

The older I get
the greater my appetite for truth, irrespective of its source.
I have far less patience for impostors,
and my ears are becoming more cautious,
because they know words are often wolves dressed stylishly in sheep’s clothing;
and that people are practised thespians in never-ending plays.
I shan’t be dragged onto their stage.
I choose to write my own script.

The older I get
the better I have become at separating wheat from chaff;
at understanding the delicate contours of the human heart,
and at feeling deeply without fear, for these days, I have less to hide,
and much more to give.
I take time to listen to life’s heartbeat, and to sync it with the wind’s eloquent melodies
or the soft tones of the sun.

The older I get
the sweeter the elixir of love and laughter.
I am forever ready to plunge head-first into the immediacy of the now
for I have seen up close the weight of regret, which I refuse to entertain.
I know that time is far too scarce.
So I will not bank on tomorrow.
It is a luxury I can ill-afford.
I much prefer to devour and savour time today.