!10 Tips to Age Better!

There are muscles contorting my face into despair

I could get a jab but I could also be slower to anger

Curious about the stories behind everything 

My brows will still press together tightly as I think of them 

But my mouth won't turn down 

And my eyes will remain open 

And bright 

My posture has been failing me since I was 21

When I chose to hunch over books and typing

I walk more slowly

Watching the crows fly through the coloring trees 

Trying to smell the change of seasons in the cool wind 

I admit, though, that I still mostly look down 

To see my best friend pattering through the trails 

Sniffing stumps of trees and wayward leaves like she can solve a crime 

We get home and I am filled with so much gratitude 

That I lift my chin as high as it can go and offer my neck 

To accept her time-sensitive kisses 

Everything is quick now 

Shower quickly, and dress quickly, too 

Get in the car as quickly as possible

Scoot through traffic as efficiently as a conductor  

But linger on the goodbyes

To accept the time-sensitive squeezes of little hands  

I add a few extra spoonfuls of hemp seeds to my yogurt 

I'm definitely not above the chatter 

But I also know I am not going to perish 

If I eat apple pie for breakfast 

And I hope as the decades press on 

My memories of cinnamon at 7 a.m. 

Are stronger than what you tell me I need to do