I sing of aches and pains and stress and strain

A sonnet for the athlete who is old.

They say without the pain there is no gain,

At least that’s what Olympians are told.

At first make sure your muscles are quite warm

And then press on to try to do your best

While concentrating on your breath and form

And putting your endurance to the test.

Beware the risks and know your limits too.

We do not want to hear you whinge and whine

Complain of aches as old folks often do

Because you’ve injured hip or knee or spine.

Take heart because mortality you’ve faced

But know that worn out knees can be replaced!

Linda F. Smith retired from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and lives in Salt Lake City. Since retirement she’s been devoting herself to creative writing — poetry for kids and adults, picture books for kids, and short stories for adults with legal themes — and is still seeking to be published somewhere some day! Toward that end, she’s an active member of the Utah State Poetry Society, the League of Utah Writers and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and illustrators.

If you have an essay or poem on aging you'd like to share with others on the blog, click here for submission info. Since I also teach “Writing Through Grief” and “Writing as a Tool to Cope with Anxiety,” if you have an essay related to these topics that you’d like to share, I’d love to read it!