Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Mortality Noted

Everyone who was old when I was young
died years ago. Buildings are named after
men and women who bought me ice cream,
carried me across the street. Memories.
Memorials. Teddy Kennedy died last night,
the little brother who mourned his slain
big brothers. Called immature, impulsive,
He lived with his losses, his mistakes,
worked for ideals, spoke out, died alive.
Good night. Well done. As young lions
of my childhood die old lions, I feel my mortality ,
not the enemy, a reminder, increasingly familiar.

Victoria Hendricks, August 26, 2009

3 comments:

Sue said...

Wonderful words Victoria. Thanks for saying what many of us cannot put to words.

Mary said...

Powerful, thoughtful words! Mortality IS definitely noted by people of our generation especially with the passing of this 'lion.'

Diane T said...

Wonderful poem about Ted Kennedy, the passing of time, aging, and our own mortality! This poem should be published ... somewhere.