"Just The Clowns"


They say with age comes wisdom
And I rather think that's true
We age and we get wiser
In most everything we do
And yet inside we're eighteen
Trying hard to comprehend
Why our bodies fail our wishes
Why our spines no longer bend
Making plans we cannot conquer
As we just don't have the force
Like a donkey lame but willing
Who forgets he's not a horse
Age a number but a demon
Something we just can't control
As we live our lives as best we can
No longer 'on a roll'
So we take each day and celebrate
Those birthdays we don't need
Reminding us we're not eighteen
But sadly gone to seed
A man who's mirror image
Looks extremely like his dad
The laughter lines reflecting
All the good times that's been had
A face that's full of wisdom
Full of life's quaint ups and downs
Our mind's still stuck at eighteen years
Our bodies just the clowns

by David Whitney    c 2017