Terrible Twos, no memories for me,
Happy Days from four to ten,
But with the family Split
Childhood innocence vanished
Never to return.

Torn from my best friend,
Dad lived only blocks away,
For me it seemed a 
Hundred miles.
Might as well have been.

No one to tuck me in, laugh with
Or play catch at a moment's notice.
Lonely years,
Confusing times,
Now grist for stories and poems.

Teen years ranked a solid Eight
On scale of One to Ten.
Made my mark in school,
Good friends, great times,
Memories alive still.

Twenty to Twenty Nine
Straight stretch, few potholes.
Marriage, motherhood
Defined who I was,
What I wanted.

Thirties and forties
Full of ups and downs.
Health, loved ones,
All that meant the most,
wrenched away.

Fifties: good years, all in all,
Learning to bow to life's
Surprises, tragedies,
Embracing every blessing
That comes my way.

Now comes a shift in roles,
to care for a parent, love my grandchildren,
Acceptance, contentment, surely.
Wisdom? Hopefully,
Jury's still out, time will tell.