The Changes... Poem by RIC BASTASA

when i was a college student
and as expected of my own gullibility
in search of my relevance
i went to the streets and had a juggling
of such words as
freedom, democracy,
and independence
and due to such nitpicking there
are lots of differences
and semantics work well
with the clubs and bruises and
hamlets

things change always for the better i suppose

bellies protrude, wrinkles grow like grasses,
hears and anger mellow down like melted ice
boiling water cools down,
people settle, marry, have children and
miss picnics and class reunions

no one talks about freedom nowadays and they find
these topics redundant

the state is on the verge of extinction and so is the world
time is too short for brewing and the sipping may not be coming after all

a family sits on the grass with their dog
a baby is warmed by sunshine on the cradle
there are new grandchildren coming from the nearby town
there will be barbecue and beer and apples

grandpa sits on the reclining chair
and looks silently at the sunset on an unlimited horizon