Concentrated

By John I. Blair

I’m concentrated
Like a raisin or a prune,
Shrinking bit by bit
With my essence
Still intact.

So many years
Basking in the sun
Have had their effect,
Sucking all the juices
Out of this boy’s skin.

A life that made its start
One bright day in June
Is bent now toward its end,
But not without
Autumnal joys;

And like a grape or plum
Hanging long upon the stem,
My sweetness just gets stronger,
My flavor all the richer,
As harvest time draws near.

©2018 John I. Blair, 4/11/2018