Home   Home

Birthday

by Chris Sorrenti


Two score
ten and eight
and though I do not mourn
neither do I wallow
as in the days of youth
when thirty was but a distant dream

In relative good health
celebrate
to celebrate the good
forget the bad...the ugly
with a little Marijuahoochie
Cab’ Merlot
despite unsteady glucose level
controlled with proper diet
for the meantime
rising BP kept under wraps
(I know Mom
gotta quit those cigarettes)
with the aid of two little pills
Diastolic Systolic
always the pills
though no recreational value now

And of an only son
close at hand
who may yet outlive me
respects the ground I walk on
as do I his

We stay in shape
with shared chores
feeding cats and
litter boxes
dusting vacuuming cooking dishes
walking...walking...walking
up stairs to go down
then back up again
out and about
around the neighborhood
while mental exercise
a forgone inclusion

To avoid my own father’s
Dementia...Alzheimer’s
a continual regime of
facts figures dates names
faces and places
research a constant
with the aid of Wikipedia
Wheel of Fortune
and Jeopardy
my new religions

A lot of trivia mixed together
of Culture...Politics...History
posted on Facebook
uninteresting to some
meaningless to others
without realizing
I’m not doing it for them
but for me

So that as in the days of youth
dots are connected
new poems written
albeit not often as they used to
so as not forget...lose
all that’s been learned
over two score
ten and eight


© 2015

1,400 hits as of March 2024


10/30/2015

Author's Note: Today is my birthday, and as I’ve never written a poem about the subject, figured after 58 years, it was about time. That having been said, although I’ve experienced peaks and valleys...plateaus in the quality and volume of my writing, my inner voice wonders if the best years of creativity are behind me...or if more of the best is yet to come.

Posted on 10/30/2015
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by V. Blake on 10/30/15 at 05:02 PM

Happy Birthday, old man. Still seem pretty sharp to me.

Posted by Linda Fuller on 10/31/15 at 02:03 AM

Happy Birthday Chris! I enjoyed this window into your life. And from where I stoop, you're still just a baby!

Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 11/01/15 at 01:29 AM

Happy Birthday, Chris! My husband and I share many of your activities and wonder how we ever had time to work. :) My wish for you today is as few pill bottles on the shelf as possible. Cats, of course, will not let you be lazy as our three nod their heads in agreement. I enjoyed the details in this one. I'm expecting cake. ;)

Posted by Ken Harnisch on 11/03/15 at 06:08 PM

Happy birthday Chris...although I rank you in years ( but not by much...lol), I find your trials and tribulations surprisingly in sync with my own. So I hope you don't mind, with a bow to changing the number of years, if I kinda "steal" the wisdom in this poem for my own, come the time.

Posted by Joan Serratelli on 11/06/15 at 12:57 AM

HAPPY. HAPPY- Don't give up them ciggies- the ONLY thing giving me any relief these days!!Whatever makes you happy and is even quasi-legal.....

Posted by Clara Mae Gregory on 11/06/15 at 06:52 PM

Happy Belated Birthday, Chris. You are still on the young side of old! Enjoy it all while you still can! xo

Posted by H.M Stevens on 01/20/16 at 02:09 AM

Great tribute to Housman who I always thought didnt go old enough...coupled with a lot of beauty and dimension. You capture our times well a la the new religion. Sherman Alexie wrote a great poem on this "The Facebook Sonnet" this calls to that verse. Great work and thank you.

Return to the Previous Page
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.2 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 0 member(s) and 2 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2024 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)