Nostalgia, memories in the rear views of life
Mirrors with many faces and dreams may be rife
But focus on the perspective etched by the vista of converging parallels
Know that though hopes, visions, dreams and paths ahead wear enticing apparels
We must know which and which are meant for us
Skipping the needless fights that raise naught but dust
Friends, no matter the pandemonium or commotion:
When you clock sixty-two be quick to do things but know when to rest
And often use your tongue to count your teeth if by chance some are left
I read a thousand goodwill messages all through yesterday
Some overwhelming some astonishing and some I’d rather not say
Then as I walked through my lockdown garden and browsed the verdant bed
The fact that you all care brought home the fact that I am very blessed
Friends, comrades, family: all I can say is THANK YOU
Happy birthday, sir. I feel honoured and lucky to have encountered your poetry (starting with the iconic ‘Poems on the Run’ which shaped my poetic vision as a budding writer) and your activism as a campaigner for environmental justice. May you remain an inspiration and a shining light. Congratulations, sir!
Thank you very much, Abayomi. You can send poems for publication in eco-Instigator, the in-house magazine of HOMEF. Look up http://www.homef.org . Materials may be sent to editor@homef.org
I certainly will!