Carte blanche, the life I’ve been given,
But once born, death is for certain.
Sounds harsh this unescapable truth.
On this day, kindred honours my centenary,
A life well-lived with worthy intentions,
Been there, done it and seen it all!
I sowed and reaped luscious fruits!
Yet the captious mind is never at ease,
Melancholia, the prevailing ambience.
Methinks another day nearer the end,
So I wonder of opportunities missed,
Wasted talent and ambitions unrealised.
Am I now a burden to my loved ones?
Once worms had picked every bone clean,
What becomes of my endeared soul?
Will it burst out when they bring flowers,
Forging an air redolent of my fertile dust?
How will I react to their silent weep,
And can I bless those who strive to visit?
Regression comes with stiffened joints,
At eighty, lonely and frail evermore!
In declining years, every sense’s fading,
Organs ache with no apparent incident.
Sight and hearing now intricately linked,
Hence I yearn for silence to see better,
And struggle to hear without my specs.
Oft barefooted, I wobble the land solo,
Since retired, erstwhile mates evanish,
My precious spouse has been gone. long,
Now I wonder why the days are so long?
By daybreak, for the evenings I long,
When kinsfolks homeward they bound,
From their hustle and daily grind.
A gaze across the room, exploring for,
Whom likely to care, when I’m impaired,
And steady my toddle as sinew wrought.
The bulk has own trials and tribulations,
Health, relationships but mostly financial,
Some impatiently await my departure.
Duty bound at threescore, reppin’ it,
The whole tribe, instantly I’m a superstar,
Arms stretched for the hem of my garment!
Eloquent voice, my word is now gospel,
Them lips part, only to speak with purpose.
A silver fox, hair uniquely on sides and back,
The bald top bold with boundless wisdom!
All children have since flown the nest,
Calmly, thus, we rejoice over renewed vows.
Yet every Eden has its own Serpent!
Apprehension has turned on retirement,
How much pension, and what will suffice?
When to quit work, and where shall we live?
Shan’t we learn skills and build relations anew?
Dispose of the house pronto and downsize?
At forty, life begins to make sense,
Been working for a couple of decades.
Accomplished, the confidence is apparent,
With swagger, there is a bounce in my step.
Accumulated the worthless assets of life,
Luxury cars that consume gas in gulps,
And a huge house, teem with fancy interiors.
An oversized former production chamber,
And empty storage rooms, hitherto bedrooms,
For three children, all in higher education.
Anxiety now about university expenses,
Accommodation and their general upkeep!
No more, I quit playing around with kids!
Beyond adolescence, now I’ve adult duties,
At twenty, I’m already a seasoned warrior.
Awhile, been watching the girl next door,
With a longing eye, she’s invading beauty,
That permeates my chest, twists my interior,
With fear and thrill, whether she’s far or nigh.
Even at night, I construct dreams about her,
While, come morn, I pretend to be sane.
Wondering why the elders are so assured,
And where they get their wisdom from?
Currently a layman, when will I be initiated?
And be invited to the council of statesmen,
To mingle under the sacred Baobab tree?
At five, I start to remember my existence,
The compound and all its surroundings.
Under the backdrop of a stunning landscape,
Of rocky hills, farmland and cerulean lakes.
The hopeful dawn and golden twilight,
As we head goats near the communal holding.
Wondering why the days were never longer,
And when will I grow old enough?
To look after the cattle, far away from home,
And join the youths in chasing girls around?
To stomp no-go areas across deadly woods,
And accompany my cousins to school.