Half as Old

A twenty-four year difference

In the ages at the match

Means the older of the players

Has some wisdom to dispatch.

 

After all, she is a champion,

With many trophies won,

Her opponent at a point

Where her career has just begun.

 

Yet a twenty year old body

Still has spring that hasn’t sprung

And an arm or two that hasn’t

At a million forehands swung.

 

So at Wimbledon today, Serena,

Though she tried her best,

Got the crowds to cheer her on

But ultimately, failed the test.

 

They say age is just a number,

Which sounds nice, but truth be told,

It’s too hard to be competing

With somebody half as old.

Correspondence

Writing letters, now passe,

Was once the only sure-fire way

To keep in touch with those in camp,

Enough to give one writer’s cramp.

 

And when in Europe, years ago,

On aerogrammes I’d say hello

To keep my family up-to-date

And tell them things were going great.

 

Of course, there was no email then;

You wrote on paper with a pen.

That way still works, for we just sent

A letter with the sole intent

 

To let our grandchild have a hint

That she is missed (right there in print!).

She may write back and she may not,

But we’ll persist, no matter what.

Outside

If you don’t have a yard

Or a terrace or deck,

(And, if moving, I’d strongly

Suggest that you check)

 

Just make sure there’s a park

Or a riverwalk, so

When you’re feeling cooped up,

You’ll have someplace to go.

 

For a window is not

Quite like being outside,

Where the air (fresh or not)

Somehow seems to provide

 

A connection to life,

Which I find that I need

To boost up my morale

(And for me’s guaranteed).

 

Yet I have to admit,

One exception I’ve got,

Will come later this week –

I’ll stay in when it’s hot!

Sleep-Away

I never slept away from home

At either camp or school.

Where I grew up, we stayed close by

Our families, as a rule.

 

My son attended college, though,

Residing in a dorm

A good six hours’ drive away,

Which was within the norm.

 

My grandkids travel to their camps

And sleep, with friends, in bunks,

Their clothes and all necessities

In duffel bags or trunks.

 

For weeks, they do activities

With parents out of range

And even at the youngest age,

Nobody finds it strange.

 

I guess when college rolls around,

They’ll know what to expect,

Since being on your own must have

A powerful effect.

 

I liked my local schools and camps

So when I reminisced,

I rarely thought about that whole

Experience I missed.

On the Train

On the train, there’s room to spare

And lovely air-conditioned air.

I have 2 seats – no need to share;

It’s pleasant, no disputing.

 

The windows give a city view

Of buildings on Park Avenue

And sometimes a construction crew,

Their hoes and diggers rooting.

 

At every station, people board,

Their day beginning, heading toward

A job or visit, their reward

For miles of such commuting.

 

For me, this type of travel’s rare,

A different way of getting there.

No traffic causing me despair,

Anxiety diluting.

 

The novelty’s what makes it cool

But daily train rides, as a rule,

Would not be fun, as any fool

Would never be refuting.

Not For Me

It’s easy keeping things the same;

There’s comfort in the knowing

Exactly what you should expect

When coming or when going.

 

Yet many choose to shake things up

And find a joy in changing

By purchasing some brand-new stuff

Or simply rearranging.

 

While I admire those who have

The gumption for the shake-up,

To switch things out is not for me;

It isn’t in my make-up.

When Disappointments Happen

When disappointments happen

(And of course, you know they will),

It’s hard to then remember

There are good things out there, still.

 

For all that you can think about

Is how the day went wrong,

As if the positives in life

Don’t really quite belong.

 

And minor setbacks do not rank

With really awful stuff,

Though for some people, tiny glitches

Spoil things enough.

 

I guess we have to suck it up

When plans may crash and burn,

But that’s a lesson that we’re always

Having to relearn.