Forty-nine is on the edge of fifty,
Offering a glimpse of flinty age.
Reason says, of course, he's in his forties,
Too youthful - and too young - to turn the page.
Yet life must amble on from stage to stage.
Now his spirit seems quite hale and hearty --
Infinite, in fact, though it engage
No less in time than his well-tended body,
Each requiring care, sustained and sage.
Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use.
Audio and Video Music: Gymnopedie 1. By Erik Satie. Music free to use at YouTube.