Pause For Thought

[Ron]

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

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!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM (originally by Phyllis McCormack; adapted by Dave Griffith)

The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!

[Sandra (aka Chillax)]

Very true words and very touching.

[magicma]

Yes, a lovely thoughtful poem - I am in the 'older person' group.
So be kind and polite to me!!! please & thank you. ## MMa

[Blownupdolly]

That just made me cry. Reminded me of my dad. Biologically he wasn't my dad, he was my grandfather but he adopted me after my mother abandoned me. He lived to be 90yrs old. I don't think I am old at 49, but because of my medical problems, I do think I have an understanding of how it feels to be old, overlooked and ignored. You are treated as an inconvenience, a "problem", or a burden.
I think it so strange that a person who has a vast wealth of wisdom and experience in all aspects of life and knows much more than the younger ones is somehow seen as a dimwit.

[Ron]

Those words raise the hairs on the back of my neck

[OneDay]

Brought tears to my eyes too - lovely words brought about by difficult circumstances

[Queenie Bee]

Made me leak, what a bitter sweet account of life and impending death !!!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using proboards

[chrisjw]

Very true words & a lovely poem.............The body may deteriorate, but the mind, hopefully, keeps going ( in my case, backwards )...............A lot can be learned from our elders....... ( excluding the ones in my supermarket, that is....lol )

[Blownupdolly]

Nov 28, 2012 13:33:39 GMT chrisjw said:

Very true words & a lovely poem.............The body may deteriorate, but the mind, hopefully, keeps going ( in my case, backwards )...............A lot can be learned from our elders....... ( excluding the ones in my supermarket, that is....lol )

I thought of your thread after i had posted earlier