Do not delay downsizing till you are old.
Moving demands tons of persistence and grit.
Plan ahead before your house is sold.
By the local realtors you’ll be told:
No big deal. People do this every day.
Do not delay downsizing till you are old.
Retirement living welcomes you to its fold –
arts and crafts, a gaggle of new friends.
Plan ahead before your house is sold.
Though you might be bored to tears –
same faces, same food, same daily routine —
Do not delay downsizing till you are old.
Independent living: no cherries in a bowl.
Soon too frail to eat out or play with friends.
Plan carefully before your house is sold.
Takes years to clean out, get rid of stuff and mold.
The children want nothing but cash, cold.
Do not delay downsizing till you are old.
Plan ahead before your house is sold.
Vida Chu grew up in Hong Kong, came to America for college, and stayed. She has lived in Princeton for more than 50 years. Her poems have appeared in U.S. 1 Newspaper, Kelsey Review, Princeton Arts Review, US 1 Worksheets, The Literary Review, and Princeton Magazine. Her book of poems, “The Fragrant Harbor,” was published by Aldrich Press in 2014.
