Getting To Yes

I knew a man, his name was Smith, he died some time ago;
At least I hunch he’s long since gone, much older he I know;
When he retired he made a choice, good causes to affirm,
“Say yes unless good cause for no, and see what I can learn”.

I often wondered how that worked, as energy declines,
And mental grasp, and memory fall off with passing time;
Our friends pass on or move away, a younger set grows up;
And we take in the crops we’ve sowed, which sometimes makes things tough.

In life we must adjust our pace and way of doing things –
Allowances are made for type of mail the postie brings;
And here we are with memories more rich than life around,
Trapped in four walls and lengthy halls, aware we’re heaven bound.

But somewhere in that space of time, at least that’s what I find,
There comes a moment to decide, then Smith’s words come to mind –
“I could say no, but then again, let’s give ’er to the end;
Let’s burn, not rust out in this part, and to the skies ascend.

We’re heaven bound, so let’s go there by Spirit lifted up
On wings of Eagles like it says, and stop this acting gruff;
“Why not?” John asked us in that speech, inspiring all us peers;
Well, now’s the time for rising up and with “L’Chaim!” and “Cheers!” –

Engage in life – the upward climb – engage with what we’ve got
Within, without our narrowed way, beyond what we’ve been taught;
I’ve still got more than fifty years, that’s what The Good Book says –
That’s twenty thousand years for God, by how He reckons days.

“This Hour Has Seven Days” was ours, inspiring us to rise
Above the mean and mean in life – to live, while brother dies
Out in the war in Vietnam whose carnage filled our screens –
“Let’s leave the world a better place”, “Life’s more than what it seems”.

Lord, I said yes while ago, and kept on saying yes;
It’s been a stretch, but it’s been fun, and better yet it gets;
Thanks for this day – that’s twenty-four, two hundred and the half,
With nineteen-seven left on the clock, plus twenty-three at that.

I wonder what this day will hold – altimeter has stopped;
We’ve leveled off and upward climb’s now possible, and ought
To be the part of life ahead – rise up to clearing skies,
And see how far this clock can spin before my engine dies.

navigation