This image is mine, the poem is not. The speaker is a woman, but I feel comfortable saying that the words resonant with me as a guy. They are truly universal. Thank you Samantha for penning this thoughtful poem.
I am not old…she said I am rare.
I am the standing ovation At the end of the play.
I am the retrospective Of my life as art
I am the hours Connected like dots Into good sense
I am the fullness Of existing.
You think I am waiting to die… But I am waiting to be found
I am a treasure. I am a map.
And these wrinkles are Imprints of my journey
Ask me anything.
My image is intended to be a metaphor for life, especially an old life. On our path forward there are curves that we cannot look around. We have to travel there and face the good, bad, or indifferent that we find.
As Samantha wrote, "I am waiting to be found." When I retired, I changed my business card. The nice thing about this stage of life is that you can be anything you wish. I made up my card and gave myself a title that was what I wanted to be, not what I was at the moment or before that moment. Then I set out on my 'boardwalk'. So far, for the most part, it's been rewarding.
Jack Blair
Artisan of Words and Images