Changing

by Hy Kempler

I live a different rhythm now

The morning alarm doesn’t signal a

Rising reflex, just the arrival of day

I play on machines that yank

Muscles and tendons, hoping

They’ll stay strong longer

The mind and the soul, like invisible instruments,

Get tuned—read, write, and ponder

The ultimate

There are recurrent shopping trips

Where I hunt for bargains and fiddle

With plastic bags

I’m a laundry man, an expert

On detergents, lint balls and dryer

Hoses

Still dreams of old collegial contact

Fill the night with yesterdays

But

I live a different rhythm, now

Next

Hy Kempler, PhD, was a clinical psychologist and on the adjunct faculty of several universities. Since joining HILR in 2000, he led study groups on aging and the mind/body connection. Active in Jewish organizations, he loves golf and biking.