Winter Poem III (Benefits)

For twenty years
sending group emails
rejecting his retirement
is his business of the day
today I receive the message
certain benefits
at a senior age

Monday
A and W all food 20% discount
Tuesday
Imax movies less three dollars per round
Wednesday
Canadian Tire senior special applies
Thursday
Drug Mart vitamins three-quarters of the price
Friday
Mcdonalds offers super size coffee at eighty five cents
Saturday
Mandarin serves 20% off their buffet
Sunday
Go Transit gives 65 plus one trip free

And countless more!
he sent in

My mother
received all those
but seldom used them
remembering her back
bent like arch of a rainbow
how I kept staring
and fearing her depart
now I have eyes like hers
half moons, always cloudy
and I wish
I could afford
a nocturnal life
owls don't have
sleepless nights

For twenty years
shifted professions
climbing different trains
years passed, like a few days
ugh! Twenty years
still quite spotless
this one-third of our way

We've vowed
and kept our promise
no complaint
a heart for the country
in the maple leaf terrain
you learn to love woodwork
endure finger-slitting pain
I cook almost every night
I try different recipes
this land is truly
a palette of world tastes

Now, we have only one season
eternal winter and its blight
one out of tune alto voice
don't discounts
make you feel better?
a sarcastic redemption
a pretend graceful age
a journey one cannot return

if I could rewind
I will wind back
if I could barter
I will trade
forget the benefits
but restore
and roll back
all luster that I lack

Published on Mar 11, 2018
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