An Optimist's Life Poem by Donal Mahoney

'You live long enough
and bad stuff happens, '
Harry told Stella,
slurping his coffee.
"I'm 94 next week.'

And Stella told Harry,
"They got pills for this
and pills for that
and finally you get
something they ain't
got no pills for yet.
I'm 92 next month.'

"We're up there, '
said Harry, slurping
the last of his coffee.
'You live long enough
and you can be certain
you won't live much longer.
What're you doing tonight? "