Today was my birthday.

We picnicked at our beloved lake,
My daughter, wife and I.
On our way back home, I noticed
Our car’s orange warning light.
It said, "Service due"
And I thought:

Today is my service day.

I'll be my own mechanic of self.

I’ll change my moral oil,
Replace my mental filters
Refill the washer fluid
For the windshield of my heart,
So I can see the world afresh
With a clean and sparkling mind.

I'll grease my brakes so I can stop
With grace
And look back one more time
At things that I have left behind
Before they vanish in my rear-view mirror
Or overtake and pass me by forever.

I'll wash away the dirt and grime
Of the year that is past
And recommit to drive with love
My wife, my daughter,
My fellow passengers for life.

I’ll service my spirit every year, but
My body
Is a different matter.

As our planet runs around the sun
My body too will run and run
And run and run and run
And run and run
Run out of gas
And mortal oil
And shudder
And sputter
And stop.