Two Poems
by Jim Stinard
Old is Gold
Does being old mean I can’t be bold,
that I have to go down in weakness,
That I’m decrepit and frail
and can only weep and wail?
Does being old mean that I’m useless,
nearly toothless, pushed aside
and relegated to just go and hide.?
Does it mean that I’m looked down on,
frowned on, considered less than,
Or does it depend on the viewer
whether I’m valued
or just a piece of manure?
My strength and beauty have faded,
I’m wrinkled and gray, bent over.
Am I not considered in any way?
Or like the phoenix do I rise
with new life and energy
and soar in a limitless sky?
High, high above self-doubt
and fear that my life was wasted
and now that I’m old
that I didn’t accomplish my goals?
Do I accept that I’m unable
to do anything productive anymore,
that I cannot fully love and communicate
or am I just hurriedly ushered out the door?
We can do all things, we have built in wings,
that take us higher and higher
in our connection with God and others –
this eternal flame cannot be smothered.
We are more, way more than we ever thought before.
Holy Mother Han calls us to hold on
to our dreams of a better world
that is free from pain and regret,
a life of accomplishment and beauty
where we can develop
and express our full potential,
strong and productive and influential.
For both young and old a new world unfolds.
Our minds and bodies are united,
we are strong, of one heart to make a new start,
To shape and fashion a world of pure water, of pure gold,
a family that’s strong and bold.
We are a family of heart and soul,
that’s ready to rock and roll,
even if I’m old,
I’m going to hang on,
I’m still not ready to go!
Jim Stinard-- 8/2025
Open your Heart
Open your heart, to the love above.
Open your heart to the love that is growing,
that is showing itself everywhere,
if you are conscious and aware.
Even if you’re not, it has a divine plot.
It is shadowing you, chasing you down
despite your resistance,
despite your insistence,
despite your defenses.
Despite your bruised and hardened heart,
It is glowing,
it is showing itself in places of least expectation
as well as in the joy of celebration.
In a smile, in a word,
in a shaft of light through a tree above,
in a cardinal that’s taken flight.
Through the mist of the glow of the moon at night.
Open your heart to love all around,
in the sky above, and the beauty of the ground,
the lily, the daffodil, the frivolous squirrel,
the frothy white clouds
that spin and twirl in the wind of the storm,
or the chubby clouds
that lounge in a sky of blue,
it’s all there for you.
The earth is abundant, resplendent,
in its variety, its texture, its taste and its touch,
that’s why we appreciate it so much.
Do not squander it, as you wander upon it,
as you trod your way in your life every day.
For it is a treasure beyond measure.
It is a gift from our God above,
an energy field that’s willing to yield it’s secrets,
if you open your heart, we all play a part,
we all play a role, so open your heart,
open your mind,
we are all here as
children of our Maker Divine.
Jim Stinard -- 9/2025