Gentle is the Joy

Gentle is the joy that comes with age

as the clouds dissolve

and the horizon looms near,

as the journey evolves into a pristine path

and the way is clear, at last.

Looking at a life through songs of joy,

through years of laughter,

of smiles and tears,

I learned that it falls to me,

on my own,

to accept my ultimate fate.

Life is a wonderful journey

full of incredible friends

and of joys without end.

Your time is judged

by what you leave behind,

not by where you begin.

Gentle is the joy that comes with age

with reflection on the choices you made.

Be kind to yourself,

your shortcomings forgive,

be proud of the good life you lived.

Note: The Peter Durow setting of this poem, the pronouns were changed from personal/singular (I, me, myself, etc.) to universal/plural (we, us, ourselves, etc.).

July 3, 2024