Down at the paddle tennis courts, I ask
Agéd friends “Do you guys ever have fun?”
“Absolutely!” Sometimes a simple cask
Of beer will do the trick, an iced spiced bun
Adorning coffee, hot and fresh—sometimes
A movie, hockey game, exotic trip
To distant, unimagined tropic climes.
Their glories testify that I’ve been gypped!
I’d rather have a root canal than board
A plane! And food, these days, tastes much like fur.
Night driving seems like falling on a sword,
And those pro games no longer swirl a stir.
The one thing that most carpés my diem?
The pleasure of each morning’s firm B.M.
(5/16/2}