If only we could choose our lineage
I think that I would have taken great care
Maybe to try and preserve a lifelong head
of hair, or forestall the need for bifocals
But on reflection, vanity and the outward shell
that we think is so important pales with the onset
of interior decline
The truth is, our parents and all our ancestors
live on within us, every trait they carried now
woven into the tapestry of who we are
All our predecessors’ beauty and all their
flaws duel quietly, the outcomes shaping
our being
Inside and out, head to toe
How is it that our past is remembered as
kinder? Yesterday always viewed through
a softer lens
With each new sunrise our ancestors whisper
from deep in our DNA, having altered our form
in the night, bringing unwanted gifts etched into
the morning’s aches
Yet, in decline, some treasures emerge:
Strength shifts from muscle to mind,
lost but replaced by deeper truths—
if you are willing to see them
Hearing fades but listening deepens;
words reveal their true meaning, actions
resonate, a simple nod can empower
Vision blurs, yet clarity sharpens,
Filtered by years of seeing the unseen
Motion slows, but emotions swell, bringing
about a wellspring of understanding
Making the pain tolerable
Mostly
Strength is redefined — not in weight or speed,
but in resilience, grace, and steadfast resolve
against time’s tests
You cradle a newborn’s tender face, their eyes
reflecting infinite love, and the union of all who
came before
In their soft cries lies a future— not yours to
reclaim, but theirs to shape
If we are wise, we will guide them gently, not to
our dreams, but toward their own
In these moments, the mirror of age reveals timeless
truths, a constant exchange of vitality for wisdom
What will greet me tomorrow, as the sunlight quietly
fills my room?
