C - Milestones

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My hundredth ricketty rhyme! A milestone, of sorts.


Milestones

Humans are the only beasts
Who punctuate their lives with feasts.*
Milestones to the passing ages
They calibrate our lifespan into stages.

In early days, they are quite near:
One day, one week, one month, one year,
First smile, first tooth, first real word,
The day a cautious step occurred.

Beyond the years, our life is pursed
In graduations, weddings, twenty firsts.
But soon there comes an awful truth
As people sense their failing youth.

Many folk find they cannot handle
The every growing blaze of candle
And so, finding their age to be a trial,
Decide to stay one age a while.

But still the non-time marks accrue
A testament to the things we do.
As living broadens, teaches, strengthens,
So the list of things done lengthens.

Towards the end, as life unravels,
Savour the milestones of your travels.
They all rejoice your life, save one:
That last milestone is a grave one.

◊◊◊

*Granted, dogs and cats can scarce conceal
They pace their life from meal to meal
But once the meal has been consumed
The next meal countdown is resumed.

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© J Cosmo Newbery
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