There are decades of fantasies and fears,
gossip and unverified rumors about
Retirement—
as a tropical paradise
a sad, dank apartment
a rollick of grandchildren
loneliness
travel and adventure
lost luggage
new purpose
All those old delayed dreams dusted off,
grown lovely or loathsome through the years
Different lenses, different mirrors
reflecting all our jumbled
and most secret dreaming selves
Life with the guardrails down,
calendar boundaries
not just stacked on a shelf in the
garage for spiders to enjoy—
Retired is the aftermath
of a bonfire—
every guardrail, every old calendar
burned in both
glee and apprehension
We’ve lived a long time and learned
the lesson long ago and over and over—
Nothing matches all the hope
or dread we build around it
Every thing becomes possible—
what joy
and
what terror
And today?
Today it is so small and simple—
linger in the sunshine
for another poem
because there is
Enough
Time
Puff Of Smoke Poems 