Old Boots

None of us has seven and a half million years to ponder "life, the universe, and everything." What each of us has is but one lifetime to reflect on life, how things have gone so far, and what the future may hold in store. For those as fortunate as I to have reached the age of sixty-five, that reflection may take on an added prominence. On the one hand, with careers behind us we have more hours in the day to devote to it. On the other hand, we are more conscious of our looming mortality and realize that we have fewer days to devote to the task. And so we spend more time thinking, engaging in retrospection about the experiences we have had in our lives; in introspection about those experiences, good and bad, and what those experiences have taught us; and in projection - planning for our last decade or so of our lives and the most fulfilling use of the time we have left. This book of poems is my way of reflecting on my life so far and what lies ahead.