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
Tis 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 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!! This joke is from the collection at www.usaone.net/jokenet
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