"Big Brother"

by Cheryl Merrick

The ominous "Big Brother",
predicted by a 1950 futuristic novelist,
who watched your every move
and controled even your thoughts,
morphed in the second millennia.

The fearful black-hooded figure of doom
has donned the colorful, excessively helpful,
and incredibly persuasive guise of
Google, Bing, and Yahoo,
and the chatty friendliness of Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Second Chance

by Cheryl Merrick

Who would have thought,
after 50 years of illness,
that I would have a second chance?

Instead of being confined to my home
with headaches, nauseousness,
achiness, and extreme fatigue,
most days I'm out walking.

No longer am I restricted
to a few rooms in my home,
but roam hillsides and parks.

New Sight

by Cheryl Merrick

Eye surgery complete
and eye patch securely in place,
I went to bed.
A new world greeted me
when the patch was removed 
in the the morning.
A world where images
  focused clear and true
 into the distance.

Balancing

By Cheryl Merrick

Ever seeking to balance
my longing to help others,
     with my need to recharge;
my desire to interact
     with my yearning for solitude;
my joy in experiencing the world
    with my drive to analyze it;
my dedication in applying concepts
    with my thirst to discover principles;

Age Adjustment

by Cheryl Merrick

Now that my eyes are "fixed",
   the ptergium growth and cataracts removed,
I expected to immerse myself in reading
    and work on the computer as long as I wanted,
but my aching 67 year old eyes
   reminded me that they tire quickly.

As my body gains strength,
I envision long energetic hikes,
only to find that my several injuries
     and weak adrenal glands
dictate a more sedate ramble.

Yes my ageing body will never return to
    its youthful state in this life,
but it has given me both the wisdom and capacity
    to live a life more full, balanced, and loveing
than I have never known before.