A mighty oak tree

From a tiny seed grows

An adult has a start

From a toddler’s toes

Once mud pies and stones

Graced tables and chairs

Then puberty arrived

And with it more hairs

We grew taller and smarter

With age so we thought

But truth can be humbling

Can you see what we’ve bought?

With money we’d purchase

Our looks and our stuff

But now what’s important

It’s going to be rough

You cannot buy wisdom

Foresight or love

Approximations perhaps

Not the real thing above

Humility, integrity

Compassion, there’s more

A life that is lived

By those keeping score

A balance is paid

Each day of your life

A legacy is left

Be it not one of strife

Look back and be proud

Of the life that you had

For memories remain

And it wasn’t all bad