Wisened Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Young!
And full of...
Adventure.
Unafraid to leave,
Boundaries made.
And perceived limits...
To conform within and respect.
With a reluctance to later regret!

That was left to those who,
Aged!
And I had of yet,
Become a slave to correctness.

Young!
And full of...
Ideas that dared.
Experimental,
Yes.
Argumentative,
Yes.
With a thoughtlessness,
Centered in selfishness.
I confess.
I was young but not devoid of consciousness.

And I make no excuses at all for this.
I AM blessed with life.
And I made a promise,
To explore every bit of it!
With a crawling if I had to.
But determined to do,
What for me I sought was right.

Sometimes frightened in flight!
But never to stop...
To broaden my sight.
I wanted to know.
Not stay up 'wondering' all night!

Young!
And full of...
Nonsense!
Then.

Now reflective,
And full of...
The life I like.
Living the life I have lived,
To love!

It is my life.
I made sure I didn't follow.
And obstacles faced..
I chipped away.
I've had my share,
Of wallowing in sorrows.

With no wishes to do it,
Any differently.
OR make visits with delusions...
To have my thoughts redressed.
Or sympathized by time,
I let slip by.
To awaken one day with aches and pains.
With a reach in desire for a yesterday.
Today...
I will never regain to claim any,
Embellished exaggerations.

I can say these thoughts are all mine.
Whether in fine print,
Or in my mind documented.

And they have been,
Wisened!
Whether the wine I drank,
Now drink or sipped...
Was fine or cheap.
These thoughts I keep...
Are all mine!
With such a savored flavor.