I remember my cruise ship to Alaska.
A boat sailing where life began.

The opalescent waters of the Atlantic

Beaming exuberance and exhilaration.
Ice clings to a hillside just as a baby holds on to its pacifier.
It’s me and nature musing on a summer night.
The evening sky reflects the water.

Opalescence changes into cobalt blue.

The wind briskly touches my face.

Couples hold hand-in-hand across the deck.
Children gambol around the pool.
My family ruminates and reminisces with passerby.
The elderly lean on a chair and drink until they pass out.

One grumpy old curmudgeon yells at an employee for not getting the right room key.
Iced teas, BLTs, they are all good for me.

As I reflect on my own midsummer’s night dream.

My grandparents have prospered.
They have given me something I never dreamed.
Diminutive, balding, and wrinkled,

I have seen that time can never break love.
Who knew fifty years can be so golden.

I remember my cruise ship to Alaska.
A boat sailing from country to country.

The aroma of salt water with the chef special.

The view of the stars and the view of the world.
These are what I see.
As I look back.
I remember the joy of yesterday.

I remember tranquility and happiness.

As time goes on

I may lose my hair, my taste, my vision, or my hearing,

But I will always have those memories.