Listening last night to the Mozart Requiem
made me wonder: what wealth did the world miss,
what concertos, operas, cantatas, might he
have written, had he not died
at age thirty-five.
Stars like Mozart make their mark early,
but prodigies also may quickly fizzle; some can't
produce past a midlife crisis, others
don't start a meteoric rise 'til well past
age thirty-five.
Salmon is best eaten fresh, before it gets fishy;
stews often improve the second day; some cheeses
don't become better, go unintentionally fungal;
fine wine develops with time on the shelf.
Wright still built
beyond age ninety.
© by Patricia Williams.
Used with the author's permission.
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