If You Have Reached This Stage

If You Have Reached This Stage

(A poem by Sal Godoij.)

Listen up, my sister, my brother, listen up

If you're in your 20s, you're okay

If you're in your 30s, you're still okay, but whatever you're trying, try harder

If you're already in your 40's you've already conquered or forgiven

And if you're already in your 50s or up

There's a lot you can talk about, but little you can do

For whatever you owe to yourself or others

From now on, you'll pay for it up front

You'll pay for it up front, and not in installments, as you've done until now

Aw! Talking is now red and black

Like a roulette wheel

And listening is like the ball that spins

And spins, and spins and jumps and rests and decides the winner

The winner is the word

Whatever word it is, what you wanna hear

Ah! What life would be without cotton sugar talk

Jelly talk, sugary promises, sweet talk?

Lemme tell you're on your own, sister

Hey brother, lemme tell you're on your own

But whatever your age, keep your truth to yourself

If you wanna live long and peacefully

Such is the world

The world of the three wise monkeys

And after 60s, ah! after 60s, there is no truth left

No truth left to accept, to search for, to receive

But roads to look for it, yes. There are roads

But don't look back. Who's following you?

Look ahead of you, and you'll see in your horizon

In your horizon, the sun is setting

Yeah, but the moon is rising

The moon is rising

And if in your 70s, the sun is down, but the moon is rising

It's because you have had a great life, sister

A great life, brother

A moment to show your gratitude

Because throughout your life, some kind of light has guided you

Knowledge, experience, wisdom, good advice, or just a candle

Or just the sun, or just the moon

Or perhaps only the light of the stars guided you sometimes

But now, in your 70s,

If you have reached this stage

Don't worry about the source of light, my sister, my brother

Don't worry about the source, just enjoy the light.

This is a deeply resonant and moving poem by Sal Godoij. "If You Have Reached This Stage" offers a poignant meditation on age, accumulated experience, diminishing returns, and, ultimately, gratitude and acceptance.

Here is a delve into the wisdom, imagery, and elements that make the poem moving:

💡 The Wisdom in the Message

The central wisdom of the poem lies in its stark, decade-by-decade commentary on the human life cycle, focusing on changing priorities and the increasing cost of action as one ages.

1. The Shifting Value of Action and Effort (Ages 20s to 50s)

• 20s: The Starting Line. The simple assurance, "you're okay," suggests this decade is for exploration, mistakes, and learning without heavy consequence.

• 30s: The Crucial Push. The phrase "try harder" introduces a sense of urgency. The time for carefree wandering is closing, and serious commitment is needed to build a future.

• 40s: The Point of Definition. "You've already conquered or forgiven" is profound. By the 40s, one's life narrative is largely set. You have either achieved your major goals ("conquered") or you have made peace with the things you missed or the wrongs done to you ("forgiven"). This is a decade of decisive settlement.

• 50s and Up: The Cost of Action. This section contains the poem's most striking financial metaphor:

For whatever you do from now on, you'll pay it up front,

You'll pay it up front, and not in installments, as you've done until now.

This suggests that, in youth, mistakes and new ventures (the "payments") can be handled over time as one learns. In later life, there's less runway. New actions require immediate, full commitment—of energy, focus, and often money—because the body, the career, and the social standing have less elasticity to recover from errors or delay.

2. The Acceptance of Silence and Seclusion

The poem presents a cynical but pragmatic view of communication:

• The Deception of Talk: The imagery of "cotton sugar talk, Jelly talk, sugary promises, and sweet talk" paints conversation as often superficial and unreliable, like empty calories.

• The Need for Self-Preservation: The advice to "keep your truth to yourself / If you wanna live long and peacefully" is a weary acknowledgment of the world's competitive, judgmental nature. It links peace directly to silence, invoking the famous Japanese proverb:

Such is the world / the world of the three wise monkeys

3. The Path to Final Wisdom (Ages 60s and 70s)

• 60s: The End of Searching. "After 60s, there is no truth left / No truth left to accept, to search for, to receive." This isn't despair, but an arrival. It means all the major life lessons have been learned, all the great philosophical questions have been answered for the individual. The search is over; only the roads to look for it remain, perhaps a nod to endless contemplation or memories.

• 70s: The Great Exchange. The most beautiful metaphor is introduced here:

Look ahead of you, and you'll see on your horizon

In your horizon, the sun is setting / Yeah, but the moon is rising

The setting sun represents the end of the active, striving, daytime phase of life (work, ambition, ego). The rising moon represents the ascent of the reflective, quiet, inner-lit phase (peace, memory, spirituality).

• Final Acceptance and Gratitude: Reaching this stage means having "had a great life." The final wisdom is to stop analyzing the past sources of guidance—be it "Knowledge, experience, wisdom, good advice" or just a simple "candle"—and instead, focus entirely on the present moment's peace: "Just don't worry about the source, just enjoy the light."

✨ Moving Imagery and Poetic Elements

The poem moves me most through its plainspoken honesty and its shift from material concerns (payment in installments) to cosmic ones (sun and moon).

1. Financial Metaphors

The idea of life as a series of transactions is powerfully resonant:

• The shift from paying in "installments" (allowing flexibility and time) to paying "up front" (demanding immediate, full commitment) is a brilliant way to describe the loss of youth's resilience and flexibility. It makes the reader feel the weight of every future choice.

2. Gambling Metaphors

The short section on conversation uses vivid gambling imagery:

• "Talking is a roulette that turns and turns," suggests the unpredictable, chance-based, and often chaotic nature of what we say.

• "Listening is the dice that goes round, and round and jumping" suggests that truly absorbing what others say is a chaotic, risk-filled activity—the outcome (the wisdom received) is a matter of luck. This reinforces the later advice to keep one's own truth private.

3. Celestial Imagery

The Sun/Moon exchange is the poem's emotional climax, and it is profoundly moving:

• The sun's setting doesn't trigger fear, but a calm shift in illumination. The moon's rising is a beautiful assurance that light—a gentle, reflective, inner light—will not abandon the person. The sun's light is active, demanding, and hot; the moon's light is passive, peaceful, and cool. It suggests that the light of striving is replaced by the light of contemplation.

4. The Tone and Voice

The use of conversational address—"sister," "brother," "Aw!," "Lemme tell you"—gives the poem a voice that feels like a close, world-weary mentor sharing hard-earned advice over a late-night cup of coffee. The compassion in the final lines, "my sister, my brother," makes the harsh truths of the earlier stanzas feel like necessary preparation for the final, peaceful acceptance.

The poem moves me because it doesn't offer easy answers. It acknowledges the struggle and the diminishing options of age, only to pivot gracefully to the ultimate comfort: that the true measure of a long life is not its accomplishments, but the simple, quiet enjoyment of the remaining light, regardless of its source.

Would you like me to explore another poem, or perhaps focus on the meaning of a specific line or image in this one?

                        Absolutely. I wholeheartedly agree.

The poem "If You Have Reached This Stage" is less of a narrative and more of a framework for existential assessment. It acts like a series of reflective milestones that naturally prompt the reader to look inward and ask:

·       Where am I on this path? (Am I in the "try harder" 30s, or the "conquered or forgiven" 40s?)

·       What have I paid for in installments, and what will I have to pay for up front now? (What risks can I still afford, and which are too costly?)

·       What is my "truth," and have I learned the wisdom of when to keep it to myself?

·       Has my sun set, and is my moon rising? (Have I successfully transitioned from a life of striving to one of acceptance?)

By segmenting life into these distinct decades with specific challenges and corresponding wisdom, the poem forces a self-inventory. It transforms the abstract concept of "aging" into a concrete series of stages, making deep reflection on one's journey virtually unavoidable.

It is, indeed, a powerful invitation to introspection.

This poem, "If You Have Reached This Stage" by Sal Godoij, is a thought-provoking and introspective piece that explores the stages of life, the importance of living truthfully, and the quest for guidance and wisdom.

What moves me most about this poem is its honest and raw portrayal of the human experience. The speaker's words are both encouraging and cautionary, offering advice on navigating the different decades of life. The poem's message is one of self-awareness, acceptance, and gratitude.

The poem begins by addressing the reader directly, offering words of encouragement and warning. The speaker suggests that as we age, our priorities and perspectives change. In our 20s and 30s, we're still finding our way, trying to make our mark on the world. In our 40s, we've likely experienced some successes and setbacks, and we've learned to forgive and move forward. By our 50s and beyond, we've accumulated wisdom and experience, but we may also feel a sense of limitations and mortality.

The poem then shifts to a more philosophical tone, comparing conversation to a game of roulette, where words and meanings can be unpredictable and fleeting. The speaker notes that true communication is rare, and that often, we're left to our own devices, searching for truth and connection.

The reference to the "three wise monkeys" is significant, as it alludes to the idea of seeing, hearing, and speaking no evil. The speaker suggests that, especially as we age, it's essential to keep our own counsel, to be mindful of our words and actions, and to cultivate inner wisdom.

The poem's most beautiful and poignant section is its final stanza, where the speaker addresses the reader in their 70s. Here, the tone is one of calm acceptance and gratitude. The speaker encourages the reader to let go of worries about the past or the source of guidance in their life. Instead, they're urged to simply enjoy the present moment, to bask in the light that has guided them thus far.

The image of the sun setting and the moon rising is a powerful metaphor for the cycles of life. It suggests that even as one phase of life may be coming to a close, another is beginning, and that there is always the possibility for renewal and growth.

Overall, this poem is a meditation on the human condition, encouraging readers to be mindful, to cultivate wisdom, and to appreciate the beauty of the present moment. Its message is one of hope, acceptance, and gratitude, and it invites readers to reflect on their own journey, to cherish the light that has guided them, and to look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead.