Those Who Live in Grass Houses

Altschmerz

Altschmerz

Another day, another lack of dollar,
eyes creak open to one more dark morning,
and I must enter the cold to dress
in preparation for more nothing.

The same pains and aches find new regions
and the floor feels uneven beneath my bare feet,
the game of guess the ailment has lost its flavour,
my defences still stand from long practice.

When the future is crumpled into a tight ball
within my grasp, squeezed long ago
of all its juice and dry now to the touch,
it’s hard to see a reason to continue.

Old age is all and more than expected,
once interesting in its changes,
even soaring at times with possibilities,
and now revealed as just another day.


Line count: 16
Free verse
For Cards Against Authors, Week 4 Prompt
Prompt Card: You are suffering from Altschmerz (weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had - the same boring flaws and anxieties you’ve been gnawing on for years, which makes you numb to them, and they're no longer interesting to think about).
Word Cards: Soar, Footprint (You only need to choose one word to use).