Retirement

RETIREMENT

I could spend the day writing
Walking in the cool breeze
Along our thick red river
Counting the mallards swimming.

I could watch each cloud
Swirl by teasing that rain
Wasn't coming today
Maybe tomorrow, if I could wait.

I could greet at the local store
With all the other white hairs
Turning up our hearing aids
As you reply "hello" softly

Trying to be nice.
Wondering how so many could shop
So late when I could sleep.
Instead of standing with my plastic smile.

I could pour out this canvas heart
With adobe and sunsets, how many!
Would cross this place, my brush
Swirling rapidly.

I could teach at the school
As if they'd want to hear some old fool
Passing on his wisdom
Before they were born.

I could play a solitary game of poetry
Teaching my self forms and workshops
Set in libraries pretending to be smart
Napping between pages.

The senior citizen center would love
Music if I could remember the chords
And the tempo for that song
Maybe I could just tell them about it.

~Dave~
7 Oct 04

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More Poems By Dave

Kavitanjali