Dying of Old Age: A form of Protest

Artwork by Chanchal Gupta

To be ghosts

Haunt the bad behaviors out of my descendants 

Talk with ancestors about did I do enough 

This has much to do with us not getting to 

Grow old to give breaths to the flowers

Become dirt for others to be grounded to live 

Or dust to take up space 

I want you to grow old 

Feel grays be the silvering lining of being 

Alive long enough 

Dying of old age is an act of protest 

When life is taken by this oppressive system 

May you not be taken for granted

May you be granted old age 

May you give your last breath as you would like to live

 

This piece is published as part of Love Now Media’s Poet’s Press. Poets have been trusted voices for generations, giving impassioned contextual voice to critical issues of the times. As storytellers, their words often help society to further process and digest the news providing empathetic nuance to reporting done by journalists. The Poet’s Press contributors deliver views of life through a uniquely transparent lens while exploring critical issues connected to wellness, equity and justice.

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