Tentative

At a certain age,

it all becomes provisional,

the big things,

the small stuff,

everything contingent on

the time remaining,

a simple fact of life.

It is also true that,

no matter the years,

the many or the few,

we’re all just passing through,

temporarily positioned between

two eternities.

So what is one to do?

Perhaps boldly experiment with

one’s uncertain future,

not fretting about

tentative schedules,

tentative arrival times,

tentative deals,

tentative release dates,

or tentative rulings.

Maybe it is best to

not stew about outcomes,

not worry about unfixed uncertainties.

Better to be as feisty as

the 80-year old man,

a bearded hero who

buys a new hammock

and two saplings.

He doesn’t concern himself with

future change for today’s dollar.