Learning To Love Yourself

Out in the green Derbyshire hills

a ginger man

sees in another year.

Just like me, he has seen many,

and, like me again,

too few have been happy.

He has a fine family, and fine love

from his wife,

from his children,

from their children,

from other people,

even from me.

Even so,

even after all that love,

he has not had enough,

we have not had enough,

happiness.

Perhaps this is the truth:

the years we are here

are what we make of them,

and what we make of them

could be made better

with the one thing

he and I could never

give to each other,

the greatest gift of all:

learning to love

yourself.

---

Apologies to Linda Creed and Michael Masser