The Kids Are All Right

Photo by Patrick Buck on Unsplash

“Whither are the manly vigor
and athletic appearance
of our forefathers flown?
Can these be their legitimate heirs?
Surely, no; a race of effeminate,
self-admiring, emaciated fribbles
can never have descended
in a direct line from the heroes
of Potiers and Agincourt…” — 1771

I know it’s the eternal custom
of us elders to complain about
the “feckless” youth that follows us.
I tell my kids it’s their rite of passage
to have to listen to the pompous
pontificating and self-righteous twaddle
of old people mostly jealous of the time
the young still have before them.

— Matthew S. Spira © 2019