Close To Burnout Poem by Phil Soar

How I would like to shut down some of this nonsense
I shouldn't have to decide who I do or do not like
And yet I find myself judging
Not qualified to do so
Even after sixty plus years
But still I find myself judging
How much I should like someone
Or not

How would I like to take care of everyone I like
The list is not infinite
Those close to me I would protect
And though not qualified to do so
Even after all my years
I still find myself trying
To protect them from things I know little about

How I would like to leave my mark before I go
For people to say they like me
Unlike I dislike them
With so many issues still unsettled
And so many people who should know my feelings
How I would like to shut down
When I am done
And take my thoughts with me
Unsettled and not qualified to comment
I sit silently and think
And then I sleep