I Watch TV

 

 I watch people on TV,

movies, commercials, news, interviews,

comedy, dramas, etc. etc. etc. and so on.

Lovelier, homelier, uglier people than I

appear to be currently.

I watch people on TV,

to determine whether they are younger

or older than I happen to be. Of course

mostly it turns out to be a guessing game,

for most folks don’t reveal publicly

exactly how old they are. By accident

or intentionally, some reveal their year

of birth. Then on my fingers, I do the

math and determine how old they are.

I watch people on TV.

Why do I care? Why do I try to figure

out their ages? Looks can be deceptive,

you know. Some age well and appear to

be younger than they are; some have

been ridden hard in life, and have been

put away wet.

I watch people on TV,

the young, the old, and with some frequency,

the deceased. It’s a mind game of mine trying

to determine my own appearance versus theirs

comparatively. It’s a vanity game I play with

myself, you see.

I watch people on TV,

and I’m glad to report that I look younger

than some who are younger than I; I look

older than some who are older than I; and

presently better than the deceased, like it

or not, I am older than I used to be, and

thank God that I’m still alive.

                          -30-

Chris Hanch 6-14-2022