One And Sixty Poem by Denys E. W. Jones

When I was one and twenty,
I heard a wise man say:
"Time passes fast, and nothing lasts,
Be sure to seize the day.
You see the sun has risen,
Before you know, it's set..."
But I was young and foolish,
Those words I did not get.

I thought the rose would never fade,
I did not ponder death.
I saw no limit to my days,
I'd ne'er run out of breath.
But forty years have come and gone,
That wise man is long dead.
Now I am one and sixty,
And filled I am with dread.

3/8/23
Denys E. W. Jones