The telomeres of my twenty- three pairs

Of chromosomes, are now shorter than they were;

The seven and thirty trillion cells of my body

Are just beyond rejuvenation and repair!

Sarcopenia has pushed my muscles to a state of fatigue,

My once thundering voice is now tame and meek,

The knees that once carried me miles after miles

Have turned stiff, and my bones have gone porous and fragile!

A struggle it is for me, e’en to open biscuit packets,

With fingers that once wielded bats and tennis rackets!

My face, you can see, is adorned with more wrinkles,

Than the countless stars that in the night sky do twinkle!

But I am not, why should I be, ashamed of my old age,

Does not every life that is born, pass through this inevitable stage?

None of us has tasted the waters of the Fountain of Youth,

In the mythical land of Bimini, that should restore our youth!

Every silver shred on my head, and each crease on my face,

Bears witness to the tests and the trials of my days!

// This poem has been penned by Gulnar Raheem Khan who was declared the Winner of the first poetry slam event (A Rhythmic Affair) conducted by Beyond the Box for adults. //