The greetings
social media onslaught
best wishes, memes
‘speed limit birthday
plethora of road sign pics
55 M-P-H
vintage
‘Stay alive, drive 55’ ads

Amused, bemused
not feeling the urgency,
amusement that just
fifty had provided
no black balloons
taped to my work desk
no grim reaper cards
I could only remind folks
fifty-five isn’t old . . .
if you’re a tree
to laughter only my own

Now, just a few torn-off
calendar pages from
the big six-five
I wonder more about
how much future remains
career wise
opportunities abound yet
I am limited, it seems
in eyes of others

Experience, wisdom be
workplace damned
‘times have changed?’
So have I

Old friends and peers
same vintage
spouting woes of time
infirmities
same social medias
and newer ideations
more bitter, less willing
to see opportunity

My mailboxes
snail and electronic
filled daily with
insurance and sign-up
deadlines
sixty-five gifting me an
entirely new vocabulary
plan this, part that

Every month the
calendar flips I find
new reminders to
encourage those
who surround me that
sixty-five is coming
yeah,
but leave the angst to
someone else
come April, let’s all go
have a beer
you can bring a cake
I won’t even mind
if the frosting is black

– Mark L. Lucker
© 2023
http://lrd.to/sxh9jntSbd