watching the clock the scale birthdays check book the unbelievably advanced year of our Lord numbers are the digital you amazed by a sunrise or faces of the moon, the unbounded innocence in a baby’s eyes, hearing bird song from deep summer shade or reading on a rainy afternoon that’s the earthly, natural you and maybe there’s still one more, when the numerical and mortal you pass into the indefinable you who goes from gazing at a million stars from here, to becoming

retirement is for the birds, at least those fed and caged or a hamster just off the wheel or lions and elephants meercats, monkeys snakes and tortoises with lots of free time to wander around the edges of glass peek through bars and barriers and enjoy the life’s entertainment age captures us, too we fall into the trap of physical limits find movements restricted, a wide dry moat even works, where the prospect of a long steep climb down then up becomes a daunting escape so w

sleepless nights, those ancient 3 a.m.’s, come to mind, when ideas would pound on my skull, pry the eyelids apart slip inside and run around, force the lamp on to see their names scribbled in the bedside notebook now, they enter quietly sit in the waiting room, drinks and snacks might be passed around or lunch served as they otherwise, kill time with a civil patience once ushered in it’s all very relaxed - they talk as I write - though I first look them straight in the ey