Some people don't want to live past ninety
My stepmother for instance
Who has a birthday coming up
Ruefully says she has lived too long.
A birthday card might not be well received
Unwelcome congratulations on surviving
When she would rather not be here
Experiencing inexorable memory loss.
A younger person might not understand
Thinking perhaps living long is a contest
You win if you outlast everyone else
Not realizing the lost feeling of those left behind.
She's not gone yet which is good for us
Who would like her to be around longer
But she quit computer communications
And dismantled her phone beyond repair.
That's called sending a message
A different kind of cord cutting
A complete estrangement closing in
Though the post office still remains.
I can make no argument against her choice
Nor do I think she would listen to me
When the last remaining control is to say no
We can only hope she finds a reason to live.
We all have reasons to be sad deep down
But we can see the beauty that surrounds us
Taking delight in everyday existence
There for anyone to embrace and enjoy.
We have our developing lives to share
That she could let become a part of hers
If we reach out and offer to include her
Spreading around some joie de vivre.
