The Me I was Formerly

What have I learned in this world

which has turned me? You may say

I am not the person I used to be.

Oh yes, age and mental conditioning

had something to do with the who

I have become—old and gray, the

cynical frame which surrounds me,

the wobbling and hobbling of an

unsteady gait I have grown to live

with throughout my days. Long

ago my train left the station,

chugging and puffing along to

its unknown destination. We are

all born fools of our own undoing

in the belief that we have it all

under control, twisting and turning

our Rubik's Cube life into its intended

aligning. All I ever did was to awaken

every morning, day after day for years

and years on end. So, what happens

then? You decide to turn around and

face another life when a stranger calls

out your name. That’s just the way it

is. It’s up to you, up to me, all of us

collectively can bask in some glory,

each accepting our share of the blame.

We have earned what we have learned.

No, I am not the person I used to be.

Look into my eyes and see. Yet, I shall

not forget the me I was formerly. And

still, albeit more cautiously, it is in my

nature to turn around when someone

calls out my name.

Chris Hanch 1-7-18