Mellowing Down Poem by RIC BASTASA

mellowing down
with age
you are ripe
for this surprise

you prefer
now a boat
docked on
the shore

you like the
hammock
made of
soft threads
whiter
cloth

you do not
like a boat
sailing on
a stormy sea

too unlikely
of you
as a man
known for
his restlessness


you dream
of this purple lotus
growing
right there in your
lap

you dream of
a man putting
all his books
in one sack

how can i ask
what all these
signs mean?

with due respect
i shall take too
my last dip
in the sea of life