Routine medication

Written
2011

 Routine Medication

Spontaneous, creative, bold, decisive-

         my youthful

          and prided captions.

Hair combed in careful abandon

         ascot adjusted  to cavalier,        

         and a forward gaze;

         I painted myself  dashing.

Impulsive? of course.

Creative? of course.

Risk taking? of course.

The in command strut,

         quick and purposeful,

         easily became natural.  

Red beard, Viking- like,

         a challenge accepted

         with youthful confidence.

Ambitious?  you bet,

         fame and fortune sought.

Then like a Colorado thunderstorm,

         quick to rise from nothing

         to become the scene stealer,

         over night the red beard

         became grey and

         the red ascot no longer a match.

The in-command strut,

          not suited for solemn stage walking,

         became the deliberate shuffle of dignity.

A downward gaze to censor feet

         that had forgotten to

         take care on each step.

I had reached the comfort zone

         of repeated behavior

         needing no prompting.

Same breakfast each day,

         full of berries and fiber,

         had a moving and predictable comfort.

Off to the gym

          to lift, shove and move

         now done unthinkingly.

The road is not a challenge

         and each day a routine

         followed like an unquestioned religion.

From here on

         the only concern is the faint possibility

         that I forget my routine medication.

Doug Minnis February 21, 2001

 

 

 

 

Notes
I found this old poem as I was cleaning files. It waas 13 years shy of my current insights. Tomorrow I doa revisited version. I know so much more today.