Please know I’m not laughing at you, rather I am amused as hell by this line: I’m in my thirties now. I can’t do all the things I used to be able to do - I’m 58… just wait darling, you just wait🤣
"I’m in my thirties now. I can’t do all the things I used to be able to do in my twenties." Oh boo fucking hoo, Franco, compared to me, you're only a kid! But there's a lot of maturity and wisdom in your words, and just think what a marvellous poet you're going to be in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Keep living, reading, and writing. I hope I'll be there to enjoy your future poems.
“…when you were your brightest and most pretty, maybe you felt relentless and untouchable,
but were you?” Yes, it was when you were the most pretty; every girl is her most pretty at 17; boys it may be a 19, 20, 21. But at age 70, I am at my zenith of being relentless and untouchable and you will be, too.
Yeah it also depends on the age of the people around you. Like your social circle and your siblings or your coworkers, spouse, friends, ets. Great point :)
I def dont want to go back to my old shell - as lovely and privileged as it assuredly was. Now I’m 75 and can say with no small amount of shock, Im so much happier, wiser, kinder, funnier, and more loving toward myself and others that sometimes I feel giddy from being alive. Of course, perhaps the giddiness is simply early stage dementia. Who knows? Hahahha. In any event I’ll take it.
And hopefully paint a happier future for even you, dear young poet, who notices everything, and writes with such depth and passion. ♥️
I'm with C. Elyse! Not laughing but smiling gently with love/compassion. I'm sixty-freaking eight! But I love that, with age, come many epiphanies - if we're open to them.
Love these lines: go ahead just try and get back to a version
of yourself that doesn’t seem to exist anymore,
see what happens, it’s a losing battle,
and why would you want to…
Why would I want to? Indeed! I like reincarnating. I'm a regular Madonna of reinvention
What can’t you do in your thirties that you could in your twenties? Maybe stay up all night drinking and then get up and go to work in the morning? Apart from that? Likewise I’m loving your work. As far as I can tell, ploughing on through the second half of my fifties - it’s mostly a mind game - the way we’ve been conditioned to fit in. A guy my age skateboarded past me this morning down the middle of the road, over the speed bumps. Skinny jeans, baseball cap and grey beard - maybe one time I would’ve responded through my conditioning, now it was an inner ‘yes brother’. Loving the poetry Franco. 💚
Yes brother, that's the way. May we all continue to skateboard with our grey beards proudly flowing. And yeah a lot of what I can't do anymore revolves around not being able to wake up at noon everyday like I did when I was 20 lol
My best years so far were my thirties and my fifties were my worst. The fifties had financial problems but all else was really good. I’ll be 65 in late September and life is wonderful again. Life is full of ebbs and flows and I’m looking forward to the future whatever it brings.
I could relate to all of this, Franco. Wonderfully done. And your comments at the end are as incisive as the poem, though more direct. I have come to understand that the whole purpose of life is to listen to that internal voice. Connect with it and you have connected with the creative force of the universe.
This is an incredible piece. The point that we cannot return to a former self. I see this as a larger metaphor for the state of the world. I hoping that with the loss of somethings, new and better things are taking shape for our world.
this this this this this : "It shows that change can come from the inside out. That it can be a choice. That we can heal by allowing ourselves to be whatever our internal voice wants us to be. You should always be listening to that voice inside you, and learn about how it wants you to adapt and become a better person." this is what i'm always trying to share in my writing. you get it.
Please know I’m not laughing at you, rather I am amused as hell by this line: I’m in my thirties now. I can’t do all the things I used to be able to do - I’m 58… just wait darling, you just wait🤣
Haha I'm so excited to get there! Thank you, I'll take the kind laughs, always.
Its liberating because you have more discretionary change to do the little you can 🤣🤣🤣
I like the sound of that. I need as much liberation as I can get lol
"I’m in my thirties now. I can’t do all the things I used to be able to do in my twenties." Oh boo fucking hoo, Franco, compared to me, you're only a kid! But there's a lot of maturity and wisdom in your words, and just think what a marvellous poet you're going to be in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Keep living, reading, and writing. I hope I'll be there to enjoy your future poems.
Haha boo hoo indeed 😂 thank you Portia!
🤣🤣🤣
“…when you were your brightest and most pretty, maybe you felt relentless and untouchable,
but were you?” Yes, it was when you were the most pretty; every girl is her most pretty at 17; boys it may be a 19, 20, 21. But at age 70, I am at my zenith of being relentless and untouchable and you will be, too.
And although my wife is 65, I still see her at age 17 and the warmth wraps around me like a French terry bathrobe from the Ritz: Just look at her at a Halloween party dressed as Mickey Mouse before we started dating; that's me as an old miner: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QulO6lDKygWdEUjoWfUASYfg4H6l_9zz?usp=sharing
"you're so young"
Haha it's all relative I suppose
indeed. I still remember how I sobbed- really sobbed, not cried-when I turned 22. It seemed to me life is ending, so old I felt.
It's very funny now-but it wasn't funny then, not at all
Yeah it also depends on the age of the people around you. Like your social circle and your siblings or your coworkers, spouse, friends, ets. Great point :)
I def dont want to go back to my old shell - as lovely and privileged as it assuredly was. Now I’m 75 and can say with no small amount of shock, Im so much happier, wiser, kinder, funnier, and more loving toward myself and others that sometimes I feel giddy from being alive. Of course, perhaps the giddiness is simply early stage dementia. Who knows? Hahahha. In any event I’ll take it.
And hopefully paint a happier future for even you, dear young poet, who notices everything, and writes with such depth and passion. ♥️
Haha I love that perspective. Thank you, DeeDee. ❤️ I like the idea of that kind of future :)
Absolutely that!
Yes! Thank you
I'm with C. Elyse! Not laughing but smiling gently with love/compassion. I'm sixty-freaking eight! But I love that, with age, come many epiphanies - if we're open to them.
Love these lines: go ahead just try and get back to a version
of yourself that doesn’t seem to exist anymore,
see what happens, it’s a losing battle,
and why would you want to…
Why would I want to? Indeed! I like reincarnating. I'm a regular Madonna of reinvention
Haha perfect comment, I look forward to more of those epiphanies. And I hope to always remain open to them . Thank you, Jeni ❤️
Love it 😊😊
Thanks Karen 🙂🙂
What can’t you do in your thirties that you could in your twenties? Maybe stay up all night drinking and then get up and go to work in the morning? Apart from that? Likewise I’m loving your work. As far as I can tell, ploughing on through the second half of my fifties - it’s mostly a mind game - the way we’ve been conditioned to fit in. A guy my age skateboarded past me this morning down the middle of the road, over the speed bumps. Skinny jeans, baseball cap and grey beard - maybe one time I would’ve responded through my conditioning, now it was an inner ‘yes brother’. Loving the poetry Franco. 💚
Yes brother, that's the way. May we all continue to skateboard with our grey beards proudly flowing. And yeah a lot of what I can't do anymore revolves around not being able to wake up at noon everyday like I did when I was 20 lol
My best years so far were my thirties and my fifties were my worst. The fifties had financial problems but all else was really good. I’ll be 65 in late September and life is wonderful again. Life is full of ebbs and flows and I’m looking forward to the future whatever it brings.
Yep financial problems can really make things more as fun. You're right about the ebbs and flows.
I really enjoyed the dream imagery as much as the commentary :D
thanks, Ria!
🐸🦋 perfect analogy! Really enjoyed this piece 😊
Thank you, Marjorie!
I could relate to all of this, Franco. Wonderfully done. And your comments at the end are as incisive as the poem, though more direct. I have come to understand that the whole purpose of life is to listen to that internal voice. Connect with it and you have connected with the creative force of the universe.
Well said, it's so true. Things get difficult for us when we stop listening to that voice. Thanks for the comment, KC.
So deep so thoughtful carry on young poet!💕
Thank youuu ❤️
Those childhood friends who don't want to acknowledge that we speak up now...
exactly
This is an incredible piece. The point that we cannot return to a former self. I see this as a larger metaphor for the state of the world. I hoping that with the loss of somethings, new and better things are taking shape for our world.
Beautifully read Franco!
this this this this this : "It shows that change can come from the inside out. That it can be a choice. That we can heal by allowing ourselves to be whatever our internal voice wants us to be. You should always be listening to that voice inside you, and learn about how it wants you to adapt and become a better person." this is what i'm always trying to share in my writing. you get it.
Love this 🙌