A Young Man Confronts the Signs of Aging

Gustave Courbet's 'Le Desespere' (1845)

“When I hit 25, I’ll basically be dead.
Or I may as well be dead.
Youth spent… or whatever.
And when I’m 32, I’ll basically be 33.
When I’m 33, I’ll basically be 34.
When I’m 34, I’ll basically be middle-aged.
And when I’m 50, I’ll basically be an old man.
And then I will be truly dead.
Yes… dead.”

So this young man is deeply aware
Of the terrible Signs of Aging.
A sore arsehole — a sign of aging.
Forgetting a name — a sign of aging.
Each twitch and itch— a sign of aging.
Everything bad’s a sign of aging
To the young man who dreads getting old.
Yet he’s suffered some already.
Had his physical and mental problems.
Yet he rode them through fine.
And no, they weren’t signs of aging.
Let alone signs of dying.
So these are the dark thoughts
Of a scared young man
Who’s taking his long hike to the end.
Now all that truly is a sign… of being young.