Pausing

Life’s autumn fell and kept on falling
to the point of no return,
so I, a child of fifty pausing,
turned to watch my candle burn.

My youth, and those forbidden lovers,
wasted lies, ungallant nights.
The truth is in my rear-view mirror;
errors, balks and false delights.

My pride, our children and their children
found the end of mother’s rope.
My life and love went off in search of
something more, another hope.

There, on the edge of self destruction,
second chances found the first,
and she, a child of fifty pausing
loved me though I’d feared the worst.

So we, aware of sixty calling,
doubled down on all our bets,
and, burning both ends of our candle,
moved ahead with no regrets.