[BITList] Crabby Old Man.....

[Malcolm]

One for our poetry lovers.

Malcolm.  

 

Crabby Old Man.
What do you see nurses? . . .. . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man. . . . .  not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . ... . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . ... . . . a sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With  bathing and feeding . ... . . . the long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?


Then open your eyes, nurse . ... . . . you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . as I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding,  . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten . . . . ..with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . ... . . . who love one another.
A young boy of sixteen . . . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows ..... . . ...that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to  guide . . ... . . And a secure happy home.
A man of thirty . . . . . my young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . with ties that should last
At forty, my young sons. . . . .  have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . .. to see I don't  mourn.
At fifty, once more, ... . . . . babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days  are upon me . . . . . my wife is now dead.

I look at the future . . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing ... . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years  .. . . . . and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
Its jest to make old age. .. . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . ... . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few ..... gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man . . . ...  look closer . .. . see ME!!



 

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