Poetry: ELUSIVE GOLDEN YEARS (Irene Aarons)

Irene Aarons

Some years past retirement,

I'm feeling quite okay;

my bones are getting creakier,

and I'm heading for decay.

 

I'm supposed to know the answers

to every little thing,

I'm now this wise old person

whose words of truth, are king.

I search my very cluttered mind

for proof that I'm a sage,

but all I get is arguments

and stuff about old age.

So finally I realize

that since my day of birth;

I've waited for my golden years

through countless days on Earth.

Is this the story of my life,

of chapter, verse and song?

I think I missed the highlights

while trying to be strong.

I'd like to turn the clock back,

to carefree youthful days,

when every day was newly bright

and life passed in a haze.

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Bio: Irene Emanuel was born in Johannesburg, where she lived until 2002, when she moved to Durban. In 2017, she moved to Port Elizabeth.  

In 2009 and again in 2014, Irene was the winner of the South African Writers’ Circle Hilde Slinger Award for Poetry and in 2006 won a Highly Commended for her short story in the Shuter and Shooter annual competition.  On 17th March, 2012, Irene was awarded the “Fay Goldie Cup for General Success in the World of Publishing”, by South African Writers’ Circle.

Published Author of  four poetry collections and a featured poet in "Fidelities", "A Hudson View", " A World Anthology of Journeys" and in "Poems for Haiti". Her poem “Born to Die” was published in “ Agenda" a publication of Agenda Feminist Media.  She represented 

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Setu, April 2022