The Formality of Descent is massive

I can oppose it all I want;

it's still a descent I can't avoid

The cat died,

though I tried to keep him alive

I have urinary tract problems

that suddenly have worsened

Anna is working the farm feverishly

on her vacation,

and I keep wondering how long she'll stand me

in the state I'm in;

the pills I was prescribed

giving me fits of dizziness,

having me down in bed, feet propped up high

Next step is to persuade the young doctor

I'll see on 2nd July

to send me off to hospital for surgery,

to carve off enough of the prostate gland

to clear the pathway from bladder to the outlet

for all that fluid;

a process both my father and my older brother

went through

Until now,

these lines have described and old man,

getting older and more brittle,

but it's just as true

to talk about a strong and eager guy

on wild mountainbike rides

over forest paths,

or 60 mile long road bike rides on asphalt,

or climbing up screes on mountain sides

It's hard to get those two characters together

in one portrait,

and it happens that I long to pass quietly

and not have to deal with myself any more,

quoting Bob Dylan's words

”trying to get as far away from myself as I can”

from Things Have Changed;

- a wish that will be granted

if I just have time enough to wait!

The Formality of Descent is massive