Elder folk lament upon my luck

Oh, to be young and spry

Not like these ol’ joints and bones

My joints that won’t leave me peace

I can feel my body giving up on me

And when your body’s your instrument

Your transportation, art, and joy

The world’s walls cave in at a loss

Mom says they’re just growing pains

But chronic pain isn’t normal

And I’m getting older

I’ve got nowhere left to grow

When my body got in the way

I tried to leap the hurdles

Each hip perfectly turned out

Like the athlete I should be

I’ve normalized snapping sounds

The clicks of gears flailing off path

I’ve dealt with the lagging limp

White knuckles on the stair railing

I’ve accepted I’ll never be a dancer

I’ll never know what could have been

Because what you love isn’t sustainable

When your love is poised to destroy you