At 81,
I am gnawing on
the bone of Life.
The meat is mostly gone,
but the bone itself
has begun to crack.
In scattered moments
I am startled…
I suddenly taste
the marrow.
How can I explain
such flashing moments?
Of being filled full-round
with warmth and light,
blinking tears of
milk and honey,
my entire being
overflowing,
streaming rivers
of gratefulness…
gratefulness
for the wisdom
of my lived experience,
for the beauty and infinite
imagination of Creation,
for the full magic
of the everyday,
for my traveling partners,
for my dearest beloveds
and our knotted heartstrings—
who but you could have
made me who I am?
for just getting to be here
for a time
and for the terrible, tender
transience of it all.
It’s strange
but in these moments,
at 81,
I feel in the prime of my Life.
For I am tasting the marrow.
And it is Love.
Ann Keiffer
June, 2026
Image: Google image search, Pinterest, Editing with Picsart by Ann
