another

In one ear,
Another year
Comes and goes,
Like summer clothes.

What did I gain?
How much rain?
Good or bad?
Happy, sad?

Marking time
Nickel, dime.
Another year
Older, my dear.

Face lines bolder.
Hair fades white.
Flames now smolder.
Chilly nights.

Solitude echoes.
Friendships let go.
Occasional hello.
Smiles in kind.

Come to find
A conscious mind
In quiet stillness,
Without illness.

Still,
I’d jump and rail
If someone rang
For a pint of ale.

This I write,
With slow exhale.