This poem was inspired by staring at descending sand of an hourglass. At age 81, it is late in life for me. I look back to understand and value what has shaped me. I go within to know who I am now, how I feel about me, and what I want to change before it’s too late to do so. I ponder how I want to live the uncertain number of my remaining years – one day at a time. I love life, the life God grants me daily, now wonderfully late in life.
Late in Life, I know who I am
A slow and sure learner
World, People, Self, beliefs, habits, dreams
Aging’s fog dissipated, I stand on solid ground
Grand mountains ahead, I shall climb them yet
Late in Life, my past looms long
Began in wartime 1943, ho-hum Philadelphia
A sensitive childhood, feeling the family’s black sheep
Safe in school to earn three academic degrees
Wore a professor’s mask in exciting New York City
Confused about choices, made a trip around the world
Escaping and revealing, therapy to the rescue
Married a classical guitarist, we lovingly codependent
Unraveled one gray day, enabled me to meet me
Moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, free to explore life
Often visited Japan, enjoyed its culture, arts and folk
Ended up working in Tokyo, a decade of delight
Led management training, on five continents
Japan, an intercultural feast of sushi and romance
Tired of cherry blossom picnics, returned to the USA
Late in Life, on a Washington DC power trip
Lacked a sense of direction and connection
Health crisis began in Beijing, first sign of serious aging
Found beautiful Sedona, Arizona, a welcoming community
Wellness, spirituality and peace, regained my joy of singing
Transformed into an Edutainer, life’s wisdom shared on stage
Bounced back from colon cancer, queried my aging path
Late in Life, living in savory South Florida
Ocean, tropics and cultural diversity galore
Seeking community, friends, a partner in a chosen family
Pondering service to others, which of my many skills to spin?
Guiding seniors in the mastery of aging satisfying
Elated when poetry seized me, each poem a daring story
Insights fizz from the heart, I feel life’s fulfillment
Late in Life, clarifying my life’s meaning
I feel, I believe, I know, I dare and I enjoy
Love, Learning and Light, my forever identity
God my Copilot, every day worth celebrating
The cloaked hourglass measures my time
Late in Life is fine with me
Larry Rosenberg’s life mission is to share consciousness, creativity, connection and contribution. Post-retirement, he founded The Larry Show, one-person musical and inspirational shows based on his life’s wisdom, and Adventurous Aging, holistic wellbeing coaching and workshops for people 60+ to reset their life from retiring to refiring. Prior to these enterprises, his 50-year career included higher education in marketing (New York University and University of Massachusetts Amherst), international management training (University of Maryland Global Campus, Tokyo), innovative business consulting and coaching, and holistic health corporate communication. He earned a BS from Drexel University, and an MBA and PhD (Marketing) from The Ohio State University. He lives in Pompano Beach, Florida, where he delights in the area’s tropical lifestyle, cultural diversity, and business vitality.
Learn more about Adventurous Aging for Seniors, a coaching service, at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082105301582. You can contact Larry at larryros@gmail.com and 1.928.202.0010 Eastern Time.
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