At the bay

Hello old age

Nice to meet you
well you are unexpected
to some extent
but I can’t ignore you
even though I’ve tried

I’ve been keeping you
at bay, or so I thought
with my fitness class
look here, this morning
I lifted 5 kilo in a bicep curl

surprised my broken wrist
the radius and ulna (I know
It was two years ago) but anyway
following instructions using
my core to absorb the weight

Who’d have thought that eh?
next time I’m lifting the titanium
(non-stick_ very expensive fry pan)
I’ll recall my core, tighten my
bum and see if it helps

Alas, when down on the mat
giving the old triceps a burnout
It is very disconcerting to say 
the least, when I see that soft
hollow, the underside of my elbow
joint…. a kind of crepey paper

No worries, the elasticity of
the skin on the back of my hand
provides endless fascination for
my two-year-old grandson 
he pinches it in his fingers amazed
at its pliability like plasticine

and heigh-ho those once were
dusting of freckles, quite sweet
now brown mud pools in the
ravines between light blue veins
like South Island braided rivers
almost on the surface now


none of it matters when I’m swimming
wearing my proper togs for serious
old girls, minus underwire and pretty
padding to evoke a sort of cleavage
just practical, quick drying, flattening
and who cares if I have hairy thighs

there’s no need for disguise.
or deceit, nobody looks any longer
if only I’d known about this
years ago