How to Make Retirement Look Easy

(for Andy)

 

I’m in awe of those seasoned veterans

how they work a hundred years

leave legacies to shape generations.

They shrug off accomplishment

like an old sweatshirt. Lean in, husband,

let’s be clear:  You and I, unlikely superstars,

visionaries whose thought & actions

guide others in whitewaters of corporate

calamity, lifting others to their best selves.

We don’t need all that show & bravado

––or humility. Some kick-ass, I’m-outta-here

it’s-all-about-me hides under our hats.

I wait in this garden, watch for your

work boots, worn but knowing. Your smile

comes first, stepping across furrows

of fresh time. I think: he’s ready.

Break rules, plant dangerous crops

get ready for rides we’ll be taking

on our next trips around the sun.

 

June 26, 2021