This poem is by Anthea Courtenay, who did the Chakra Psychology In Depth course in 2009.  Anthea is a writer, an artist and a poet, and she sent me this poem after reading the last post on Beauty & the Chakras and ageing.  I hope you enjoy it:

TRAVELLING 

Old age is another country.
You don’t think you’ll ever go there,
You certainly don’t plan to.
I don’t remember buying a ticket!
But you don’t need a ticket,
You just keep on travelling,
and suddenly you’re there.

Old age is a country whose inhabitants
discuss blood pressure and aching joints,
and repeat themselves,
and imperceptibly shrink.
A country where the names of things
slip down the back of  your brain
(Who was that actor?  His name began with a B.)
perhaps to emerge later
when you’re thinking of something else.
 
It’s a country where you need to come to terms
with those things you have done
that you wish you had not done,
and above all, those things
you have not yet done or said.
 
You don’t need a passport, just keep on travelling -
and be grateful you didn’t have to get off earlier.

Anthea   16 7 13