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Becoming Aware of Aging

This poem candidly portrays the subtle changes in attention, memory, and judgment that come with aging, using the recurring exclamation “This is bad!” as a refrain. Taking a wrong turn, finding mistakes in a manuscript, hesitating over how to respond to a problem, and struggling to recall words—these everyday moments reveal both the anxiety and the calm acceptance that accompany growing older. And yet life goes on. By relying on small techniques to preserve a sense of peace and by maintaining an outward composure, one continues through the final stage of an ordinary life. The poem is marked not by despair, but by mature humor and a quiet resolve to face aging as it is.


 Becoming Aware of Aging

Distracted by something else,
I miss the road where I should have turned right.

This is bad!

I notice and change course.
All I can do is smile wryly at my lack of attention.
I sense the danger in driving that can no longer be called entirely safe.
I recognize that perhaps the time has come.

I notice a mistake in my manuscript.

This is bad!

There is nothing to do but check and correct it.
The facts of chronology cannot be distorted.
I no longer have the concentration to investigate everything again.
I take it calmly, telling myself there is no need to rush.

A problem arises that demands my involvement.

This is bad!

I must gather information.
Uncertainty creeps into my response.
My judgment is tested as I search for the better course of action.
Later, I may be forced to revise it once more.

I cannot find the words.

This is bad!

Names and events grow dim in memory.
I can no longer connect things easily to the people involved.
A decline in cognitive ability cannot be avoided.
By the time I realize it, it may already be too late.

Even so, life goes on.

The art of gently deceiving myself in order to preserve peace.
A poker face that appears perfectly composed.
The final stage of an ordinary life.
Now is the time when I become aware
that appearances can be misleading.

Written on May 16, 2026. If one worries too much, one only suffers more.

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