AN UNHEALTHY PREOCCUPATION WITH AGING

 

My bio teacher once pointed out

While we studied the Reproductive System

That the fetus resembled

Many of the evolutionary stages

Single cell, fish, amphibian, etc.

Known as the

“Recapitulation Theory”

It is still considered plausible

But largely discredited by

Religious fundamentalists

 

Aging is full-circle

In that we return to being

A giant infant

By the time Time does its thing to us

Loss of hair, teeth and teetering walk

In some cases talk

As in senility nonsense syllables

 

For some, we become

Frankenstein monsters

But instead of human parts

We resemble the beasts:

Turkey wattle

Bat wing arms

Camel hump

And a duck’s big butt waddle

O, can’t bear to continue

 

The Media parades Centenarians

To reassure us that we can

Keep living one more year

We see them posing in their rocking chairs

Claiming yogurt or even smoking

Is the secret to longevity

I say it’s DNA

If you want me to feel better about aging

Showing me one-hundred-year-olds

Born in 1920

Then let them be

Do-whack-a-do-ing a Charleston

Or show me Oracles of wisdom

Pontificating on how to survive stress

Unhappiness, loneliness

 

Swore I’d forget about aging

I should be grateful

Should be folking out on my ukulele

Intended to learn how to read music

How to finger pick instead of strum

But words are my lover

They come, come, come

So I mostly write, um, I mean, rant…

 

© 2016 Clarissa Simmens (ViataMaja)

IMAGE: Haeckel drawings of the Recapitulation Theory