A sonnet in which the poet laments the loss of youth and his transition into mid-life and old age.

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My autumn approaches; with summer's end,

the burning embers of my aging dotage,

now sovereign, dominate and portend

the fading of Youth with my graying image.

How now, dear Lord, do I live, thrive, prevail,

succeed, and flourish in life's waning hours?

When fresh and young as the dew, all is well;

without a care in the world, the flowers

of our adolescence seem for ever!

But, with time, comes old age and senescence,

loss of strength and health and hale,—to never

return but through rebirth and renascence.

So, waste not on me any tears of pity;

for my hope lies now in God's Indemnity.

By Ngoc Nguyen

From: United States