Poems for Older Americans Month

The month of May has been designated “Older Americans Month” in the CNMI. May is dedicated to the man’amko and adults are encouraged to re-evaluate the meaning of aging this month. Here are some poems I’ve written on that subject. Now past the age of 67, I’ve had a little time to practice.
 
Baby Boomers: Another Day in the Life
We all grow older with every breath
Filling casinos, buffets, hospitals, and spas
Dealing with aging and inevitable death
Replacement knees, hips, ‘push em up’ girdles and bras
Spending millions on balding and dyeing gray hair
Falling arches, sagging guts, butts, shots of botox
Waking up each morning with new pains everywhere
Specialists give us bad news and a price that shocks
Pricing new models of an electric wheel chair
Trying new fad diets and old vitamin spin
Ignoring our flab and farting everywhere
Rationalizing fat food we eat is no sin
Hoping, praying to cure our cancer and tumors
Another day in the life of baby boomers
 
Old Friends Forever (OFF)
I was happy with my old buddy
some trails were dry some muddy
I was happy with my sweetheart
even when it was time for us to part
I remember with complete delight
how we would laugh after a stupid fight
and how those loving and friendly smiles
lasted on life’s road for miles and miles
our love and friendship grew day and night
on sunny days and under the moon light
from budding plants till frost grew on the vine
sharing love and food finding truth in wine
though we friends and sweethearts all age
together against eternal night we all rage
and every morning glad I can still see
the results of long term friendship for me
 
Grandparents: A Boomer Sonnet
Do you remember your grandparents, even the in-laws?
Both sides from your biological mother and dad?
Did you have special names for them? ‘Opa’,‘Mamaw’, and ‘Papaw’?
Did they always hug and comfort you when you were sad?
Did they favor an older sister or a younger brother?
Were some dead before you were born or soon after?
Did they give you all the same presents or one thing then another?
When they came by did you know you were in for laughter?
Are you one now? Do your grand kids live very far away?
Do you enjoy the drive to see them, like to watch them play?
Are your kids not too happy when for a week you’ll stay?
Are your grandkids the smartest and cutest no matter what others say?
So Gramps, Grams, grumpy Grandpa, and gentle Grammies
Enjoy your grandkids, sunburned, dirty, or in their jammies