What will you do
when your face frowns
deep creases grow
and you’ve lost your youthful glow?
What when bladders can no longer contain
what for years
you emptied in a private latrine?
Now your hands are crippled
aged bones.
Now your muscular thighs
give out from your stroke.
Now you look up from your
stooped stance
slowly
squinting to find
an image you did not expect.
Time and death have take their toll.
Cell by cell you’re broken and old.
Now what of those fancy clothes?
What of those cars and trips?
What of years spent on prominence?
Where can you go when you can’t go
without help?
What will you do when you can no longer
get up and move?
Years have been given to love God and others
and now that your body is breaking down
how will you cash in all your stock dividends?
Come now, you who cannot speak without slur
or walk without dragging your foot.
Come you grey heads and broken minds.
Come you laying down to die.
Come buy without money or health
the broken body of Christ
has bought for you life.
Sheila Dougal 