Eighty-seven

I am eighty-seven
which by any measure
is an advanced age, 
reached only by a select number.

Despite the debilities of age, 
I can stand upright,
walk and talk too much,
and make sense sometimes.

Two doctors in recent exams
said that I was good for ten more years, 
which begs the question:
When do I stop driving?

When I retired after forty-four years 
of employment in five careers, 
I still had not decided what I was
going to do when I grew up.

So in twenty years of retirement, 
I mastered the computer,
learned how to invest wisely,
hiked and biked all over Cape Cod.

My legacy is the website: "cctrails.org,"
including my book: "Long Walks on Cape Cod."
Now I enjoy the woods just as much
in hour-long strolls on pleasant days.

I changed my academic field to the
study of Christianity and its doctrine,
participating in small study groups, 
leading discussion and guiding leaders.

My children are my pride; not exactly my joy.
Independent of mind, they followed
the advice of their parents, who encouraged
them to make their own way in the world.

The apple truly does not fall far from the tree.
They have met all the statutory requirements: 
Get an education, get a job, get married,
stay married, and live an upright life.

They have raised their children to be upright 
also, attending to their needs and problems
(maybe with a little too much attention), and
encouraging them to follow their stars.

Grandchildren have not figured much in my life.
They are fun when young, going to the beach and such.
But they ignore you in their teens, and you
become simply a silent observer thereafter.

Seven years ago, God presented someone
athwart my path who made my life a joy
by choosing to spend her life with me.
We do indeed live happily ever after.

Still, I do not forget those who left me.
Their pictures greet me every morning.
When I join them someday, 
I will hear:  "What took you so long?"