Before age twenty,

I sought to

palpate the stars,

salvage the world,

share passion with one worthy man.

By age thirty,

I strove to

raise children well,

plant gardens,

romance my husband occasionally,

go skinny-dipping,

 drop a few pounds,

By age forty,

I wanted to go to college again,

Learn from my children,

Dance in a tropical paradise

with Sam,

Lift up

young star-searchers

and world changers.

By age 50,

I hope to use all these

collected keys,

a jingling chain full of them,

to unlock the secrets

of the glittering universe,

which is more vast,

yet more available,

and more magical

than I ever dreamed

before I was twenty.