I want to grow old, not just get old.

I want my family to be thicker than my toenails,

My ignorance to be thinner than my hair.

I want my resolve to be stiffer than my joints,

My nerves to be looser than my jowls.

I want my curiosity to burn hotter than my reflux,

My experiences to be cooler than my hands.

I want my wits to be quicker than my pulse,

My temper to be slower than my metabolism.

I want my days to be fuller than my pillbox,

         My regrets to be fewer than the nights I sleep

From evening till morn.

…

[The author wishes to clarify that he does not (yet) suffer from all of these conditions! Photo taken in Brecon Beacons, Wales, July 2022