You Ask About Aging

Everything in nature erodes gracefully.

The tree leans and cracks. The mountain

rounds for decades in the wind. The banks

of the river bow to where the river wants to

But we, so aware of being here, fear the

slightest change. My elbow is sore. Your

heart is slowing down. And just yesterday,

an old friend flew away like a bird with a

broken wing. Still, for all I have learned,

for all I am learning, I don’t want to go.

Though like the tree on the ridge that

has grown sideways toward the daily

twist of light, I see no greater destiny

or simplicity than to be stripped of all

pretense and want until all that’s left is

a branch of being waiting for its wind.

A Question to Walk With: Describe what aging feels like to you.

 This excerpt is from my book of poems, The Gods Visit.

Join Mark’s Next 3-Session Webinar Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity February 4, 11, 17, 2023. Register at live.marknepo.com

FEB 20-24: Mastery Week: The Call of Your Soul, Weeklong Retreat, The Modern Elder Academy, Mexico, (web link) — IN PERSON https://www.modernelderacademy.com/baja-workshop/mastery-week-the-call-of-your-soul

MAY 19-26: Drinking From the River of Light: The Life of Expression, Weeklong Retreat, Global Journeys, Florence Italy, (web link) — IN PERSON https://globalj.org/mark-nepo-overview/

For info on Mark’s upcoming events, visit: https://marknepo.com/teaching_schedule.php