IT SEEMS TO ME

It seems to me that as we age,
and settle in to enjoy music of “our day”
and lose touch with current movie star names
and long for some “good ole tv programs”
we used to enjoy
that we reach a Decision Portal:
We look at the turmoil in the world

Yes, we experienced turmoil in our day,
but never like this – such divisive comments
such unrest – such selfishness and violence
as said our parents as our world emerged
as said their parents about their world . . .

We stand on the threshold asking
am I to become a crabby old person –
always hankering for what was
seeing nothing good in what is and
ever criticizing and complaining
I’m not talking about
living in an unreal world
pretending that violence,
unrest and selfishness,
do not exist.

I’m talking about the complaining
whose only purpose
is to make us comfortable
about not changing,
the complaining that supposedly
affirms “our generation had it all” and was a perfect world.

We know better – down deep
we are trying to make sense of it all
We are trying to survive

May we have the courage
to acquire wisdom
to bring forth what was good
leave behind what no longer is
and enter a new life-giving
portal of choice
beyond mere survival!

- Jackie Freitas