Two Poems by Felicia Nimue Ackerman

~ Randal A. Burd, Jr.

Old Age Be Not Sugarcoated

Your language has me groaning.
I hate to be a scold,
But please don’t call me older
Instead of simply old.
And even worse is senior.
It makes me quite irate.
I haven’t been a senior
Since 1968!

“Old Age Be Not Sugarcoated” originally appeared in Light.


A Crispy Thanksgiving

I’m grateful for crispy-skinned turkey
And pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream
And freshly made biscuits with butter,
A dinner fulfilling my dream.

I’m grateful for loose-fitting garments
That cover my bulge without fail.
I’m grateful that one of my cronies
Has tactfully hidden my scale.

“A Crispy Thanksgiving” originally appeared in Lighten Up Online.




Felicia Nimue Ackerman is a professor of philosophy at Brown University and has had over 260 poems published in a wide range of places, including eighteen in past issues of Sparks of Calliope.

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Published by Randal A. Burd, Jr.

Randal A. Burd, Jr. is the editor of Sparks of Calliope. A Pushcart Prize nominee, his 2nd collection was "Memoirs of a Witness Tree" (Kelsay Books, 2020). Randal has published poetry in numerous literary journals, both online and in print. Follow him on X: @colonelrandal.

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