They say that I have to exercise to lose weight,
that at fifty fat and cigarettes are dangerous,
that one should keep one's figure
and fight the battle of time, of age.
Well-intentioned experts and friendly doctors
recommend diets and programs
to prolong life a few years more.
I'm thankful for the good intention, but I laugh
at how shallow are the prescriptions, how stingy the fervor.
(Death too laughs at these things.)
The only recommendation I'll seriously consider
is to find a young woman for my bed
because at this age
youth is the only thing that comes close to curing this disease.
Translated by Athena Kildegaard