Distilled - Maya Spector

[Larry Robinson]

Distilled


In the heart of midlife
I began observing 
my elders.
I wanted to learn 
how to inhabit 
the final stages of life.
What I observed:
Aging is a process 
of distilling down, 
of concentrating, 
of drying like fruit 
into essential flavors.
In that, I found both hope
and a warning.

The warning:
Without intention 
and awareness,
an elder ripens into 
into the essence
of her flaws.
If her fear or anger 
or denial dominate,
she risks dying
as she has lived.

The hope:
By turning away 
from oneself and
towards the world, 
the children, and those
in her sphere of influence,
an elder assumes 
the power to bless.

Soon – too soon – 
the time will come
when my elders 
are all gone,
should we all
pass in order.
I will no longer 
be able to seek
guidance, except 
from the otherworld.
I will be one of those
standing at the edge.
Making our way 
to that border
is not optional.
How we traverse it is.

To be one who blesses,
to be regarded 
as worthy, I must take 
my fundamental fears
and hold them up 
to a forgiving heart 
and a generous universe.
Only then can I 
set myself aside
and become 
a gift of aging,
distilled in that mystical
alchemical process,
strong, concentrated,
and full of wonder.

	- Maya Spector