Haiku: Forever Young…
“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Sophia Loren
Haiku: Forever Young… The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach
Would you take a sip?
Frozen visage, Guileless face
Sweet fountain of youth…
Would you run the risk?
Numbness, necrosis, death mask
For a youthful look…
Would you consider?
Laughter lines, wrinkled life signs
Or Dorian Gray‘s life…
Given the events of the last several days, it was hard to decide what direction to take and what would be an appropriate response to this prompt. We want to live long but not look old. We want to stay young but not die young. We claim back our youth by using our lotions, potions and surgical procedures… I kept flashing back to my youth when I couldn’t wait to “grow up.” Then I think of children who die and never get to grow up… How do we reconcile both? More below!
“To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.” Pearl S. Buck
Haiku: Forever Young… Youth Triumphant Fountain
Would you share the tale?
Youth left dead, Newtown’s sorrow
Left forever young…
Could we strive to heal?
Our fragmented images
And skip the fountain…
Would you take a sip?
Of the elixir of youth
Or age gracefully…?
What is the point of pursuing the fountain of youth instead of growing old gracefully and being grateful we made it to old age? I Know. It’s none of my business. A nip here and a tuck there to “freshen the look” is common place, but do we need to be so fixated on staying youthful? I wish we didn’t. What are your thoughts?
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: Daily Prompt: Forever Young. If there were a real Fountain of Youth, would you drink the water?
*Please bear with me as I catch up on your blogs and commenting…I’m back on track; albeit at a slow pace. Thank you all for your patience! 
Positive Motivation Tip: We want what we can’t have and forget to applaud what we do have… Gratitude keeps us youthful.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos, Youth Triumphant Fountain, Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder via Wikipedia, via Flickr, or via my personal collection
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Related articles
- The Fountain of Youth (melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young (sarahneeve.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young (missjordanlee.wordpress.com)
- Playing Hide And Seek With Death? Not My Style… (allthosesmallthings.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt~Forever Young (thecheekydiva.com)
- Forever Young (sansblg.wordpress.com)
- Count Me Out (prisailurophileblog.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young (daddysnaughtylittlegirl.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young (layedbacklife.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | LooknWalk
- Don’t drink the kool-aid [Daily Prompt] « Q the Adult
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | Lady J’s Library – The Desk of Julia Dina Blackowicz
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | [Family | Photo’s | Food | Craft]
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | The Gozum Show
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « FLYNN’s Blog
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | Stuph Blog
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « Pride in Madness
- ONLY IF: A ROMANTIC MONDAY POST « hastywords
- Daily Prompt: Forever young « prettywitgla33es
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « Hope* the happy hugger
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young, emphasis on Forever | thematticuskingdom
- Fountain Of Youth – Daily Prompt | Edward Hotspur
- Growing Old Can Be Fun, If You Do It With The Right People. « ourmulticolouredlife
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss
- Poem: Forever Young (Daily Prompt) « Brandon Bored
- Plead the Fifth and Forever Young | Liquid Matthew’s Development Blog
- The last of Life, for which the first was made « the many facets of donna
- Fountain of Youth | jEtana’s blog
- Forever young « twilightsteffie
- DP: Forever Young « Life of Me and Mine
- Daily prompt : Forever Young « Pigments of Life
- Random Daily Prompt: Forever Young « Completely Random Thoughts
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | CarrollStreetCryer
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « Sanctified Brother
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « Tranquil Dreams
- Forever young « ooplalund
- I Found the Fountain of Youth | Shadoza: In My World
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young « The Eclectic Eccentric Shopaholic
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young, No way Would I Drink From the Fountain of Youth… Yet | Honey Did you See that?
- Daily Prompt Forever Young | Renato Vasconcellos David
- I (Don’t) Wanna be Forever Young. « Natalie Elizabeth Beech
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | Pam Tanzey, Artist
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | Burning Fire Shut Up In My Bones
- Forever Young « My Mind-Grapes
- Forever Young « Sisters of Christ
- Fountain Of Youth… Would You? « Wandering Gypsy Spirit
- Youth Juice? Pass « GLORIOUS METTLE
- Daily Prompt: Forever Young | probably doing it wrong
If there were a fountain of youth, I’d drink from it, swim in it, wash my clothes in it, pour it over my head, and use it to cook my food…. Just saying…
Love you for that Genevieve… I’m still rolling on the floor laughing really loudly!!! ROTFLOL! 🙂
Now that I am in my sixties, this means quite a lot to me. I love Ms. Loren’s marvelous quote. I have found this to be very, very true. Thanks!
TY Petchary! I agree with Ms Loren too… Eternal youth sounds like a nightmare to me… 😆 Some have tempered it by adding that everyone would drink it… not a bad option I suppose. 🙂
At my age, I would have to agree with petchary. Youth is a state of mind.
It can be if we keep an open mind… Glad to hear from you… How are you guys holding up? TY! 🙂
I agree with you I LOVE getting older… I like wrinkles and fat. I will NEVER understand why people worship youth. i like age the wisdom and security that comes with age. Lovely post!
TY! I’m all for taking care of ourselves and looking the best we can, but the obsession with youth that our media forces on us is frightening… 🙁
It really is… I mean the surgery people are having done is SOOO bad! I can’t even begin with out sounding like a total bitch… I think a little is ok here and there but WHOOOOOHHH
Thank you for the link. I really enjoyed your haiku, and all its compassion and intricacies.
Thank you, I will pass of the offer of eternal youth.
TY for your comment… I know some would go for eternal youth but I’m not sure how that would serve our planet… I’ll pass too. 😆
The point, for me, is thicker. Different. Deeper. Most people by the age of twenty, know they’re not going to be a rock star. By twenty-five, they know they’re not going to be a dentist. And by thirty, darkness starts moving in, they wonder if they’re ever going to be fulfilled, let alone wealthy and successful. By thirty-five, they know, basically, what they’re going to be doing for the rest of their life, and they become resigned to their fate… I mean, why do people live so long? What could be the difference between death at fifty-five and death at sixty-five or seventy-five or eighty-five? Those extra years… what benefit could they possibly have? Why do we go on living even though nothing new happens, nothing new is learned, and nothing new is transmitted? At fifty-five, our story’s pretty much over…
Now you’ve raised a lot of good questions to ponder. Aside from genetics and mental/physical health, many stay alive because love sustains them… Family love, friend love, life love, self love… While material success might no longer be at their reach, they have love… I think that matters to most of us especially as we age. Great comment… and deep. 🙂
fantastic haiku and poetry there!
TY Kz… for some reason, I was struggling with it, trying to find a balance between events.
well it came out beautifully^^
TY Kz! You are so kind… {{{HUGS}}}
I suppose by love you mean to what is left over when being in love has burned away. Love is a temporary madness, and when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Being “in love” is what any fool can do, something that erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. Love itself is what is left over, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. But is it enough? Do we need another twenty or thirty years of this stuff, to leave in peace?
Yes, deep, abiding love (devotion) is enough… not puppy love, infatuation, passion, obsession nor all those other emotions that masquerade as love.
I love growing old. I love every birthday I have and every wrinkle that appears on my face. Some people think I’m odd for this, but I had two friends die at a young age when they had young children. They both said to me they would have given anything to grow old and watch their children grow old as well. It changed me. Every year on my birthday I think of them and and really appreciate and love the fact that I’m still here 😉
What a beautiful thought… I’m touched by it. We need to cherish the life we have and be at peace with it more… I agree. TY! 🙂
Thanks for the pingback. Didn’t know what it was. Had to look it up! Ha Ha! … Soo much to learn. So little time.
TY! I’m glad you took the time to check out the term Haiku. I need to start adding a small definition blurb when I write one. 🙂
I’ve been struggling a little with this whole ‘age, wrinkle, and crinkle’ thing since turning 61 this year. It’s tough being a pumpkin head, you know, but hopefully this post will turn my thinking around to where being an aging pumpkin head will not seem so bad. Thanks, Elizabeth.
What is a pumpkin head? I’m curious… I’ve seen a picture of you and you look great. It’s all good. 🙂
That is a good question. I don’t know. I guess it would depend. When you are young you don’t really think about it. When you have aches and pains, your knees don’t want to work right and you start noticing you skin is looking a lot different, then the fountain of youth starts look really good. 🙂
I can imagine how it would look tempting… however, the Fountain of Youth is a fantasy, and when people try to create their own enhanced version through other means, the results are not always what they had hoped for… 🙂
Without aging and some sense of mortality, how would we ever truly appreciate what we have today if we knew today would come again and again . . . ~ Kat
Well said… And how would the earth regenerate if we all stuck around; retelling and rehashing our old stories over and over again? Sounds more like an episode on The Twilight Zone. 🙂
It is a delicate balance remaining youthful but not fake or weird. I don’t look like a teenager and embrace my age, but do not want to look/feel old before I am good and ready. Who is to say what a 45 year old should look like?
I hear you and we can look fab at any age if we take good care of ourselves… There’s a yoga teacher in my area, in her 90s, and she looks great. My martial arts teacher gave us a major workout yesterday and looked serene afterwards while most of us were sweating like crazy. He is probably in his 60s. Staying fit is important; even a 30 minute walk will rejuvenate the body. I’m with you. 🙂
http://speakingabouttravel2.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/year-end-awards-thank-you-my-blogging-friends/
I have nominated your blog to receive the Wonderful Team Readership award. Please check it out.
I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and a happy new year!
Sincerely,
Denise, aka friendlytm
Dec 18, 2012
Denise, TY so much for your kind gesture, I’ll stop by your blog to thank you again … Merci! 🙂
Thank you. This is a great post. Love the painting, photo and poems, and the discussion. I like Genevieve’s remarks, hee hee! Why not?
I actually nominated you for one more award: Blog of the year 2012! Please check out the same post.
http://speakingabouttravel2.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/year-end-awards-thank-you-my-blogging-friends/
Yes, Genevieve is funny… speaks her mind too. 🙂
TY again Denise and I believe I stopped by already… Will work on a huge TY even as the end of year races ahead of me… Phew! 🙂
You are so good in responding to all the comments. Thanks.
I think of how most of the sages and spiritual teachers such as the Dalai Lama, Byron Katie, Eckhart Tolle look great. The Dalai Lama is already in his 80’s… Tolle didn’t have gray hair when he was about to turn 60. They have the fountain of youth because they have attained inner peace. If we have a stress free inner world, we don’t age and increase the odds of maintaining good health. Love Sophia Loren’s quote.
I agree with you Sufilight… There is a radiance that comes with the practices one performs on the spiritual path; it makes one ageless… So true! 🙂
If there was a fountain to be forever I sure would revel in the waters — I need more time to travel the world and read my books!
There you go… why not! 😆 I hope you find your version of it soon! 🙂
We want to live long but not look old. We want to stay young but not die young.
This really struck me. It is so true, and yet… I am 49 and starting to feel my age. Things are sagging, bits ache, I have to pace myself. I have started to believe that I will actually be old someday, which was unimaginable not so long ago.
The body insists on going its own way. no matter how much potions and face lifts and exercise we have.
Joan Rivers was on TV the other day. She looked TERRIBLE – too many facelifts. I hope to grow old gracefully.
I agree Tilly! Graceful aging is important to me too; staying fit and taking care of our emotions and our human temple could help too.
I may no longer be a youth, but at least I lack maturity
I take it you meant you don’t lack maturity? 🙂
No I meant it as I wrote it, but I was poking fun at myself 🙂
Okay… good thing you clarified your comment then. 🙂
You are on a roll today Peter!
Ha, ha … He sure is. 😆
I also hope to grow old gracefully. I agree with you about Joan Rivers and those others of her ilk; quite pathetic. We all age differently, and have to accept that we can’t look young for ever. Life is to be lived, and worrying too much about what we look like, can rob us of much of the joy we should be experiencing. 🙂
TY Adin! I like Joan and, over the years, I watched in shock as she transformed into the look/mask she wears today. I don’t understand it either…
For me, I beleive those who never want to age are highly insecure. Why spend so much on creams and lotions to look young when indeed, the young ones do look their age and you only end up being a gargoyle? I am proud of my age and looks. Grat post, as usual. 🙂
Kudos to you! I love it when I meet people who are proud of their looks. Most people find fault with their looks… Refreshing! 🙂
Eliz, I love how your two poems balance each other and serve as a warning. The first stanza of the second series stopped me in my tracks–“left forever young.” Powerful, insightful, tragic, and wise.
I also second your statement, “Gratitude keeps us youthful”
On that note, Thank you for keeping me young at heart.
TY Kozo for your insights… I appreciate the analysis and thank you for adding to my youthfulness too! 🙂
At any age I think it is important to keep not only a grateful heart but a kind one too. 😉
Great post!
That is true…TY! A kind heart is much needed in our world today. 🙂
I have to get old but I don’t have to grow-up, so to speak. I have to borrow the Loren quote Elizabeth! Thanks!
b
Go for it love… I love that quote too… 🙂
We all age differently, and I don’t think that nipping and tucking fools anyone, even ourselves. I agree that we should rather concentrate on enjoying the time allotted to us on this earth rather than fretting about getting old.
I agree and it flies by quite quickly… TY Adin! 🙂