playing the odds
the house eventually will win
and I will be no more,
yet while I know I play dice with the universe
I also know that I can increase my odds
with exercise, diet, and common sense--
none of which guarantee that randomness
won’t end my game any time--
every morning that breaks upon me is a gift,
more and more precious as the view in the rearview mirror
stretches so much further than what is before me,
I’ve just turned 65
and I helped pull off opening night
for a middle school musical on that birthday,
a week before vertigo turned me around
and laid me flat for awhile,
test after test and all seemed fine
so we added two more tests:
an echocardiogram of my beating heart on Valentine’s Day
and ultrasound of my carotid arteries 5 days later,
and, for now, all looks great,
we start rehearsing for Our Town Monday,
a story of how important it is
to live a life appreciating each moment,
life is precious,
and still the capricious can visit us
and end the moments,
whatever we wish.
by Henry H. Walker
February 20, ’13
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