Evenings watercolors 
yellow chalk
and brown
white and 
then blue 
and back 
to brown 
all smeared
around smooth 
by time’s 
very fingers 
blending day
into nighttime 

How did I
ignore when did 
I decide and
why did I 
decline myself in
lieu of others 
what makes one 
shrink and shy
and choose to 
cry in silence 
why oh why 
has it taken 
so very long 
for me to 
understand and accept 
that the only 
one who never 
leaves is me 
and that I 
now at least 
need to be 
pampered and pruned 
and watered and 
at long last 
and mostly loved 
blossom dear me
bloom in bliss 

If I hadn’t 
got here myself 
I wouldn’t have 
believed it myself 
it’s actually indescribable 
this lacking complaints 
this saying that 
no everything’s good 
my life works 
and finally all 
the pieces fit
and wrinkles ironed 
it’s almost suspicious 
being this happy 
because you know 
you’re not really 
supposed to be 
at least that’s 
what we’re told 

I don’t have 
a lot but 
the lot that 
I have is
enough and the 
enough is so
very much to
me and mine 

I had lunch 
with seniors today 
and thought about 
the thousands and 
thousands of stories 
that they lived 
and I knew 
that I was
in a library 
for mountains tell
no tales only 
people ever do