Ode to Young Bernard - Aug. 12, 2022

not sure I’d

recognize him

younger than he is now

the accumulation of years

not reflected in his schoolboy

curiosity and bookbag of wisdom

his 97

a sheath of wrinkles

over pirate eyes

and a stick-sharp intellect

carried running through

a Saturday morning field

his hearing uses a cane

that he drops when he

trips over an insight

and leaps high to show us

though careful with the landing

to not inflame his one bad leg

that he really needs

to stay a young

and adventurous rascal