If we were young men
  if we were strong

If we had fresh words
  to add to our song

If we were soldiers
  with war in our veins

If we were poets
  our voices reclaimed

If we were lovers
  of women that cried

If we went wandering
  our heart’s reapplied

If we were statesmen
  the world in our grasp

If we were sailors
  the wind at our backs

If we were farmers
  with meadows so green

If we were actors
  on stages supreme

If we were hunters
  new wolf on the prowl

If we were dreamers
  all wishes allowed

If we were young men
  still facing the sun

But alas, we are old
—and darkness has come

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)