A Sunday Afternoon Poem

A Man of a Certain Age


I am a man of a certain age;
You're glad you are not me
But, in what seems an instant
if you're lucky, you will be

For those who crave eternal youth
or to age gracefully.
Who fear the well of love runs dry,
or brackish with pity

It is not a well at all;
more, an ever freshening spring.
It does not come from outside,
It comes from deep within.

So, in The Spring of Love
this spring of love, to one directed
Except one tiny rivulet,
which, wisely, I deflected

To, over years, create a store
to share, or give away
To those for whom I feel it;
have no fear, it is one-way.

Love without expectation
of any in return
At this certain age,
love we get is what we earn

~ Jim Novack
    

Jim Novack is the former Director/Manager of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School's Performing Arts Center. Previously, Jim was an educator in Instructional Technology and Media Production at Cornell University's Media Services. He writes poetry for personal enjoyment and recently did a solo public poetry performance at The Pit Stop. Jim has a wide range of community interests, including MVTV.

A quote from Jim's NPR essay for the “This I Believe” project reads, “…I am simply saying we should support each other. And, we should. But, I'm talking about doing it in the most subtle, invisible way - a smile for a job well done, a simple “thank you” for a thankless job well done, and helping someone seemingly accomplish something without any help.”