Day 2 of January Writing Challenge: Write about what you take in and what you can get rid of. What nourishes you, and what you can let go. Use words – bodies, cinnamon, fulfillment, nameless, floating, cattails

LETTING GO
In the sixth decade of my life
I’ve learned to drink it all in
That everyone is mortal
Including me

I’ve learned that loved ones die
That bodies fail
That not every goal leads to fulfillment

I’ve learned that nameless joys can fill my day
That the ultimate pleasure of floating on a raft on a lake
Blue sky above
Cinnamon-colored cattails on the beach
Dragonflies and hummingbirds darting about

Soon becomes icicles and frozen nose hair
So I must savor the heat and warmth
in the few years I have left

And I’ve learned that I must let go
If I’m ever going to learn truth
That I must discard the nonsense notions
That have plagued me since childhood

A life full of wrong ideas
Examined closely
Can lead to knowledge

Eventually

And the person you thought you were
Is discovered to be a lie

I’ve learned that letting go
Means gaining more than you’ve ever dreamed
And that solitude
No longer equals loneliness