Poem On Turning Fiftyish

Another birthday looms ahead;
Is it really here today?
Maybe I'll just stay in bed
And hope it goes away.

The years have passed so quick;
I can't imagine how.
It must be some kind of trick;
The furrows in my brow.

I still feel twenty two, you see;
The mirror must be lying.
That fellow staring back at me;
Why is he crying?

That thinning hair, the gray in it;
It's not the truth, I claim.
The scale that tells my weight,
It’s surely broken again.

I'll have no truck with aging.
This birthday I'll ignore.
You won't see me a-raging;
I'll be calm, I'm sure.

It's in your mind, they say.
You're just as old as you feel.
It's only another mundane day
In my life, no big deal.

But wait, there must be value here.
I've learned some things, it's true.
There's wisdom in my many years;
No reason to be blue.

I've knocked around, survived a lot;
I've earned these worry lines.
I'm proud of all the gray I've got;
The battle scars of Time.

I'll grant you Youth is quite a kick;
A time for joy and Cupid.
But, ah, there's so much heartache too;
And decisions that are stupid.

With age comes knowledge of yourself,
And comfort in your skin.
You may not have the best of health,
So you treasure everything.

I guess I'll lift a glass today
And celebrate my life;
I wouldn't change a single day.
This life, it’s been alright.