Rikki is in the middle, Janet Robbins Bowling is on the left and Karen Green Bartley is on the right.

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The Golden Years

        by Rikki Haimeril Reed April 29, 2004

The “Golden Years” tend to make me mad

When I was young they didn’t seem so bad

When I was younger I was told

“You’ll face these days when you get old

But, back then I had lots of time

And after all I was feeling fine

But now I am here, I have arrived

And I’m not so happy even though I’ve tried

Your teeth fall out so you get store bought

You get in the fridge, but for what, you forgot

Your hair turns gray if it doesn’t fall out

Your hearing is gone so you begin to shout

Your joints wear out so you get new parts

You need a pacemaker to jump-start your heart

You need cataracts removed so you can see

You just sat down and you have to pee

Your bones are weak and they start to crack

Your legs get cramps, and there’s a pain in your back

Your face is all wrinkled, and your eyes have bags

All your skin flops, and your bust just sags

You can’t go anywhere cause you can no longer drive

But there’s always TV, so don’t you cry

To get to sleep you have to take a pill

Prescriptions for everything, you must get them filled

A pill for blood pressure, a pill for your heart

One for your joints and your stomach, when did all this start

Your memory is gone and so are you looks

You have no appetite so you don’t have to cook

You drop everything and you can’t pick it up

Your strength is all gone so you can’t lift your cup

You wake in the morning and climb out of bed

Stumble to the kitchen and take your meds

You look in the mirror and try to smile

But the person you were has been gone for awhile

You have trouble breathing and your energies all gone

When did this happen, what went so wrong

There’s no money to spend, so you can’t go anywhere

Getting old doesn’t seem right, it doesn’t seem fair

So, pick up your walker and keep going on

Fill your heart with love and a beautiful song

Yesterday, I was young and I felt just fine

I had fun, and I laughed, the world was mine

Where did the years go, time took them away

They are gone forever; they are gone to stay

I’m older and wiser, and I know that is true

And I have many blessings, I really do

I get up every morning and thank God for the day

I see the beauty in my flowers, and what the birds have to say

But, if someone could tell me and ease my fears

What is so “Golden” about the “Golden Years”