What happens when you mix a glass of champagne with Ben Howard's song "The Fear?" In my case, you get a poem! The lyrics: "I been worryin' that my time is a little unclear/ I been worryin' that I'm losing the one's I hold dear/ I been worryin' that we all live our lives in the confines of fear..." is the spark that ignited the poem below.
The Life I Have Lived
by Lauren Taub Cohen
A slender, curvaceous glass
receives and contains
the effervescent froth
of sparkling champagne.
A surge of bubbles
rush towards the surface
like a flood of memories
unleashed and recalled.
I have been silenced by
the thunderous storms
of rage and trudged through
the unrelenting
swamp of despair.
I have been resurrected
by the warmth of wonder
and the encouraging winds of
unwavering resilience.
My life’s tempo rests
within this lucent glass:
From the fast and furious
fizz of youth to
the tumultuous teen years
to the aerated, mellow temper
of middle age.
I take a sip from
this life I have lived
and, for the first time,
cherish the complex
notes that comprise
my life which is both
unique
and
ubiquitous.
