Friday, September 01, 2006

This Body

has carried me for 64 years
through laughter and tears
given birth to two babies
attracted its full share of men
climbed hills and swum laps
dug gardens and weeded the lawn
painted rooms and cooked meals
danced -- alone, with a partner, in a group
run for sheer pleasure
skipped, hopped, jumped
done my bidding time and again
walked for hours, slept soundly

how odd that only now
when moving sometimes hurts
when sleep is often interrupted
when stamina is low --
only now do I
appreciate it.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Excellent poem

J said...

Somehow I think a body that does what we want it to is pretty much underappreciated these days. Well, always, because we take it for granted, like the air we breathe. And yeah, if that were gone, I'd be thinking a lot more about it than I am now.

Joy Des Jardins said...

So true, so true...your words ring soundly with me Joycelyn. I am guilty of the very same.

Ms. Mamma said...

very nice, making me tear up on a friday night! very dear.

LauraHinNJ said...

Great.

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone..."

Anonymous said...

So true! I'm enjoying all your posts! The one below this about the guard protectors just gave me shivers.