Renaissance – A Sonnet

Fragments of the past once filled my mind,
Adolescent complaints from long ago.
Although those petty flames no longer shine,
Their shadows linger in time’s icy glow:

Useless fictions, dreams, desires, lies,
The masks I wore for work, success, protection,
Love’s nakedness—a lonely man’s disguise—
All stripped away, no more than a reflection

In clouded eyes. Unmasked by age, a man
Patient and true, remains to close my years,
Mind clear to comprehend, discover, plan,
Create, and sing. Old age brings little to fear:

   I will not crawl into darkness, a dying beast;
   Let my soul fly free, at last released.