Over 60 years in each other’s lives,

Surfing the waves of highs and lows.

Enduring tsunamis of emotion.

Living, loving, hating but never ignoring.

Always engaged

Now as we head to port,

The end almost in sight,

We navigated mainly with fair winds and following seas,

Occasionally full sails held close to the wind,

And the doldrums, only pauses that emphasized

The beauty of our voyage.

Memory is a quirky thing

Good ones leap to mind

Jumping fish at the end of eternity’s pole,

Bad ones huddle, snakes in a dark basket

Only stirred forward by prodding.

But why prod? It was done.

Done.

We are solid, a team

We smile at the same songs

We crack up at private jokes

We get teary over tiny gestures

We are grateful for each other’s company

Unnumbered days ahead, begin to feel numbered.

How many?

I’ve never been good at math.

Numbers have been known to lie.

I only know that the days are precious

Not endless as when we were seventeen

How did we last so long?

How did we come so far?

Together!

A mystery that needs no resolution.

Chronos has ushered us nearer to our ‘sell-by’ date

Health is now the prominent daily topic

Parkinsons has robbed you of prime vigor

I assume roles for which I didn’t audition

Mutual patience is our new superpower

The thought “will he be here next year?”

Now resonates in daily reckoning.

But the question, “will I?” comes less frequently.

How will I be me without you?

The tether is so strong.

I am only an actor in this play

Not the author

I am not privy

To the final scene

I will play it as it comes

With faith