A poem by Cranky Old Man

Cranky Old Man 

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .

What do you see?

 What are you thinking .. . 

when you're looking at me?

 A cranky 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 is 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 ... . . . . 

I 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.

 It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool. 

The body, 

it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigor, depart. 

There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . 

A young man 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 cranky old man . Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!

ps : At my twenty. What will happen at my fifty?