“ To do a thing young is a shortcut to greatness. Everything you do right is evidence of your great potential, and all your mistakes are the mistakes of inexperience, which will be corrected, surely, by the passing of time. To write a poor sentence at the age of nineteen is expected (and quickly forgiven). To write a poor sentence at the age of forty-five—shouldn’t you know better by now?”

https://open.substack.com/pub/tolstoyan?utm_source=mentions

-/-/-

now of an age when the word
decrepit
takes on an ironical extra lively meaning,
and critique mine own progeny
(feet, fingers toes & nose)
thru a bitter screening of
et tu?

thru this wizened skepticism,
acting as a great filtration
filigree of straining,
so many newlywed issues
never see the light of night,
by early dawn’s demise,
they gone, discarded

<•>
do the thing
step into the crevice
neath the wrath of the
precipice

be great
by your own definition
start the ignition
and energize the engine
add oil & gas
the spark plugs of youth
will get you to the next
stop or testing station