Death Comes Before We're Old

In 1973 she was a current girl, never

wanting our babies—

yet always imagining herself fertile.

Menopause confused her at age 48,

in the year 2003 for there now something

she couldn't do not, a very

human thing which she could before—

though she didn't wish to—have babies.  

She knew of course the body aged, but

for it happen to her it was unexpected; 

she would be immune from such things. 

A whole generation starts living life

as they begin to leave it—  

generation of limitlessness being confronted

by limits—and not accepting it  

just as they told to do when young.

Rebels listening to no one but themselves as

they ignored their bodies,

answering to scripture handed down from above:

bodies did not exist but you do. 

Women joining the male world in 1973,

urged to escape their bodies and their feelings

while always being encouraged

in their feelings—an impossible conundrum. 

What you want for yourself, think of it  

not what others want from you  

or what your body wants from you.

Find the separation;  

you don't want babies, you want yourself; 

and now. . .many have received it, in their late 40's:

no babies and the end of life.  

The lack of babies, for most of these women

is a only distant ache—  

but this dissolution of themselves as they age, 

the sense of the body carrying on without them

like some spouse who is unfaithful,  

it hurts badly.

It wasn't supposed to happen: to be a part of engenderment  

or part of death.

No occupied bodies—though never have bodies

been hailed more—  

plunge into the body by leaving it;  

ignore the woman in you while hailing women.

There will be babies other people's babies—

but there will be no you, when you die.

The current girl of course has no wish to continue herself,

for her vaunted self ends

at death as she knows. 

She will even be cremated to further this along.

She's very brave at facing death, she thought   

but there's something despite her bravado she can't do!

And men no longer look at her;

in fact it's been a long time since man has looked

though she said, when young

it was never necessary, men looking at her.  

There was never anything

she couldn't achieve—she could even die with dignity but never get old. 

Death must come before we're old, death

comes before we have a body.