I want to return
to the joyful noise of a garden.
I have wasted a decade
making friends with shadows.
Standing by myself
and watching the sun
mark time with my body.
I was born
with a laugh in my heart.
I love ice cream and dandelions.
Nothing opens so beautifully
as the world
with its big orange
coming up from the earth.
Like a golden puffball
that should be eaten
for breakfast at dawn.
I am tired of being old.
Pretending that my reward
for all the pleasure
of my life is senility.
Let defeated souls go their way.
They are kids,
bewildered,
without their clothes.
Sweet, urchin faces.
No one cares
how many days you’ve lived.
The only time that means anything,
is now time.
Don’t waste the peaches
in your bowl.