Gerascophobia

Mariangelis Ortiz Lugo
Departamento de Física
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, UPR RP

I’m scared of getting old,

of not being able to defend and care for myself as I do now.

Of needing help for all the things, I can do swiftly.

Of slowly becoming a child once again.

I’m afraid of being dependant.

I’m scared of getting old,

of being pushed away by people,

especially those close to me.

Of repeating myself to be understood

and of asking people to repeat themselves so I can understand.

I’m afraid of becoming a burden.

I’m scared of getting old, of gradually forgetting

everything I once said, lived and cherished.

Of not remembering if I ate or not

or the names and faces of the ones I know.

Of becoming a stranger in my own body.

I’m afraid of becoming a shadow of what I once was.

I am afraid of getting old

BUT

I am terrified of being left alone and forgotten

by those that I lived for,

by those that I cared for,

by those that I’d give up everything for.

Those that I once called my offspring.

I can honestly say,

I am extremely terrified of getting old.

Posted on April 13, 2019 by CRiiAS.