Performed by Val Cole

POEM:

I turned fifty this year
Which made me reflect
That at best I have twenty
Good years left before
My life is basically over
As seventy is pushing it
For a man these days
This of course assumes
I don’t get hit by a bus tomorrow
Or even later today
Or have a heart attack
Stroke
Aneurysm
Staph infection
Or anything else
That could end my life prematurely
This realization shocked me
As I basically now have the lifespan
Of a small dog
Or cat
Wow
That kind of thinking can depress
A man such as me
Who in the best of times
Is naturally pessimistic
So I won’t think of it again
Until I’m seventy
Unless I die before

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The theme of my poem is mortality

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

Turning fifty and realizing that most of my life is over motivated me to write this poem

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry on and off for thirty years however over the last two years I have been more prolific as I didn’t write much during the period of my life when my children were younger as I had less time to devote to writing.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

If I could have dinner with one person it would be Axl Rose the lead singer of the rock band Guns N Roses as I have been a huge fan of his work since I was about twelve years old and would love the opportunity to learn more about his creative process.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I wanted to have my poem performed by a professional actor because I thought it would be interesting to hear my work performed by someone else and to have it interpreted in a different way other than just on the page.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

Yes I have other works, I have many other poems and a few short stories

7) What is your passion in life?

My passion in life is writing