Midlife Poem by Kishore Asthana

Looking for any receptacle
For a few drops of life, to die
Posturing at will in a prison born
Of one's own dreams, in midlife

A body hostage to time
A mind driven by desire
Sudden revelations of a life forfeit
Counting pennies by a damped fire

When rosy shades to sepia turn
And idols of yore please no more
The head reflects what has become
Of fertile fields, endeavour undone

Rushing storm to a whisper reduced
When day-dreams slip into nostalgic shroud
The muse sings naught but laments galore
Of what could've been, should've been

Seeking refuge in ginseng and musk
Eyes which faced dawn see little at dusk
A final pirouette foregone
for fear of no applause
From fading star and critic
at the male menopause