Fifth Avatar, Five

Oldham Manning,
Machiavellian-like Guile

That road before you here is ending now
That you have travelled ninety years or so;
You’ve gone the distance Nature will allow –
Or close to it – a mile or two’s to go.
Walk proudly on those hurting limbs, my dears,
And smell intensely all those drooping blooms,
And sleep past midnight, disregard those fears
That dark and sneaky presence now assumes.
Find lightness in your mind – that light from youth
That lingers even now within your thoughts,
And nourish it with lies, take them for truth,
To conquer those foul numbers Age allots.
And take these medications with a smile
That hides your Machiavellian-like guile.