Accompanied By A Wishful Vigor Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

By the time I was twenty-one years old,
I had served in the military.
Married and had a child.
Even I am amazed my clarity is unphased.
Or crazed by experiences.

That seems like lifetimes ago today.
Since between that time and now,
Those who are much younger than I am...
Are physically and mentally out of shape.

So glad I am I have finished several races.
With an acknowledgement I have made mistakes.
Met truth.
And stay away from delusions.
Doing that was difficult to do.

So many I knew,
Are 'still' undecided...
As to whose life to live.
And which races to enter to begin.
To BEGIN!
Can you imagine?

When I hear some of them mention retirement,
I wonder from what?
How can one retire,
From uninspiring routines?
And to do what next?
A shifting of a butt to remain in a similar scene?

Thank God I chose to specialize in the living of my life.
And not pretend a crawling on my knees done publicly,
Was not embarrassing.
It was.
But the recovery?
Introduced me to a peace of mind and happiness,
I can not replace by faking it.

I have finished several races!
And I was 'thisclose' on giving up on a few.
You know...
Making those easy excuses for myself.
Like many choose to do,
To prove they can successfully procrastinate.

And,
With an embellished zest.
Accompanied by a wishful vigor.