Poetry

The Pain of Growing Old

Growth and aging – they are paradoxical but they must go parallel,
it takes the courage of a man and woman,
to embrace the pain of growing old,
this fundamental truth prevails for everyone.

There is so much we care for now,
which will ultimately become valueless tomorrow,
although, everything will exist as usual,
but it will be heaps of waste in the eyes of an old man and woman.

Our eyes will have no power to recognize the beauty and ugly;
likewise, even the loudest voice will be unheard,
memory will touch down to zero,
by then, nothing else will remain but an emptiness.

All the skins shrank with a frail body,
the body parts loosely hanging, almost falling apart,
life will exist but almost a still life,
the strength of muscles and nerves will be weakened head over heel,
that will no longer render service to the body.

We may wish to run for health,
We may long to play the favorite game for fun,
but then, our body will neither be able to run nor play,
when the body has grown too old.

We love to grow but we hate growing old,
Isn’t growth and aging paradoxical?
so much is done and spent for growth,
the same is done to stop growing old but in vain.

None of us want to grow old,
but no one has the authority and power to stop growing old;
we better be bold,
and submit to the truth we behold.

                                                                                                ~Yeshi Nidhup

                                                                                                  Phuentsholing, Bhutan 

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