CLIMACTERIC by Eric Rosenbloom copyright 2017 Not the self-consuming fire In glorious explosion Leaving the quiet worm To slowly grow a new self In the sudden ashes of the old — Our turnings are slow ones The growing frailty of parents And their dying The growing independence of children And their leaving The dogs and cats that grew with them Their lives now ending Griefs accruing ... The slow ending of an age And the aged required to start anew ... The fire is in the worm Nurturing, destroying in turn The ashes accumulate Overwhelming Until we shake them off And turn to face the new day — The phoenix of our yesterdays In the phoenix of our tomorrows — Burning, burning |