farther back in time
the beginning of my life
long memory trail
________________________
Japanese haiku are like being in the ring with Mohammed Ali.
They punch
once but once is enough.  You know you’ve been
hit, not knocked out,
but knocked into a new perspective on life.

Growing old is not a disaster. It is the natural order of things. 
With each new day we add content to our trail of memories. 
Not only do we have today’s experience but we have as well
the resonance of past experience.  This aura of memory can
give our present moment a sense of the depth, give us an
appreciation for past times, and courage to face the  arrival
of the next moment.