Retirement - Feb. 3, 2026

one could define that as

a kid on permanent vacation

except we take fewer steps beyond

the front door, return sooner, walk

and not run neighborhoods, avoid

falling or taking precocious risks,

rarely get dirty and modestly sweat

hearing it like that, makes us sound

rather lifeless, like the lizard clinging

to the sunlit wall on this cold morning

which I bent over and delivered a long

“O” of hot breath to its stiff body

it never moved, just rolled its eyes

so I blew out two more and walked

away feeling exceptional about this

adventure, ready to share with friends

how I might have been helpful

in getting its day started

you see, we’re still kids playing

with fire, just safer flames,

we remember what to do with

a spark – feed it gently, gratefully

and watch it light up our days