Fountain of Youth: A Poem by Lalita Vaitheeswaran

Wrinkled face and aged demeanor, forehead full of creases
Trembling gait, uncertainty looming as every frolic ceases
Fear and melancholy grip the hearts as youth starts to fly
Alas! there could be ambrosia that could age defy
The old man walked up to the fountain that oozes out youth
He was cautioned that he’d be young but just for a moment or two
Anxious and curious to get back the vigor and the zeal
He drank from the fountain just to see how he feels
Hey presto! he changed to a young charming bloke
Was this a miracle? Or was it just a lucky stroke?
He was dripping from juvenile sap, as his alacrity rose
Brimming with unabated joy for the marvel he chose
Swiftly, crumpled furrows and lines made home as before
In the blink of an eye, the lively attractive young man was no more
Youth is just a fleeting, momentary, gateway to the old n uncouth
Every stage of life is precious -there’s no fountain of youth!