ANOTHER LONELY OLD MAN

Be thankful to grow old. Be fortunate to grow old and not be alone

Once, there was a group of us
A gathering of old men
Now, only I remain...

I am abandoned in a desolate place
Alone in a land of strangers
This is not a country for old Men
These are my last days in twilight
I no longer have the lust for women
And lately, my mind wanders off on its own...

So many miles I have traveled
So much of the world has changed
Only the sun and moon remain eternal
In my lonliest hours, I have only my thoughts to comfort me...
The past. The present. Old friends long gone...
Can one be so thankful to see another sunrise and yet pray to see his final sunset?

Unlike the others, this will be a lonesome death
I will wish for godspeed for the journey from this life into the next
... I have good friends waiting...

Author's Note

It's the saddest thing seeing the elderly care for themselves especially in my city where they are treated as a nuisance.Ironic that only at the beginning and the end of your life are you treated as helpless

Reviews

[Onlyme]

Mournfully sad and heartbreaking. Being old and alone. And wishing death to come quicker. I truly felt the emotions.

[LKBillips]

I think about this quite a bit. Growing old, staring mortality in the face. This really speaks volumes. Great poem.

[Cherrie Palmer]

We were lucky and were able to care for our parents before they passed, but so many people are not that lucky and have no one at the end.

[sette]

it is part of your culture that i detest not knowing what filial piety really means my poem hsiao talks about it and it is so sad to think about it

[Mrudula Rani]

In some cultures the elderly are treated as treasure. Their life experiences hold a treasure trove of wisdom. Having an elderly person at home has so many emotional benefits that the modern society is throwing it away. Your writings deal with the most meaningful subjects.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and those good friends will welcome the speaker, for sure.
I feel so sad for the elder generation....it bothers me that they don't get more respect.
I found that family didn't give my dad that respect...he took care of all of us for so long...and then is treated like a child? very wrong, very wrong.

[Beccy]

The world where family counted first and last is now fragmented. As you say KC, the old seem to be considered a nuisance by so many; a financial drain that grows increasingly burdensome with every passing year. Longevity, mostly a 'gift' of medical science, seems both a blessing and a curse.

Beccy