Today, You Do

The stairs are well worn,
Pockmarks and cracks.
The end of each tread open and porus.
Dried and well worn.

How many trips have I made
up and down and up again?
Sometimes alone, sometimes
with a burden, moving it
from here to there, seeking
a place to release it.

Things lost. Things found.
Things thrown away.
Things rebuilt. Those
most of all, because
that is what you do,
rebuild. Restore. A constant process
in your life of flaws and miscues,
the broken pieces made new
again and again.

The third step groans when you walk on it.
The seventh step squeaks.
Nothing perfect here.
You walk up and down and up again, wondering
momentarily how long you will be able
to make the trip. Not worrying, because
today, you do.

About this poem

Aging is fascinating. A magical mix of perspective, wisdom, awareness of failures and victories and the long storylines of your life, each day becoming more precious along the way.

Tom