Elderly Epilogue

A Funereal Address

Much have I wandered
In the world of the living
Time is hardly a problem
There
For I am still alive at ninety
Yet pain ensues
As I was cast aside
To writhe in my own company
Memories are empty things
To those who leave me alone
Many long years of togetherness
Dissolve
Like allergy medication tablets in water
As I sigh
Softly in despair
And advise myself
That all bad and sad things pass
So there I am
Alone with my thoughts
Aware of everything
At peace with nothing
Until I realise
That mortality
Is common to us all
And that final extinction
Will come to me almost as a friend
So rejoice for me then folks
On an end to all the suffering
A last touch of change
That will draw to a close the pain
Undyingly

Common Destiny

That’s it then
I am cast aside
Like an empty cigarette packet
In a flooded gutter
That’s how I feel now
Swept to God knows where
By the sludge of life
I know I have failed so many times
To act with noble decorum
Or up to the minute awareness
But I have tried
Flawed as I was, I did my best
It was not good enough
So this failure
Has turned me
Into an empty unwelcome vessel
Alone
Tattered with age
Weak
Pitiful
Sorrowful
In the slough of despond
Battered
Longing for more company
But wait
Aha!
Yes, peace beckons,
Some time soon as part of the mortal crowd
I shall with dignity leave all this behind me
Forever

The Way Of Things

Well
That is the way of things
Time creeps up on you
Slyly
Suddenly
You realise
That your days are numbered
Your journey down many streets
Is about to end
Ninety years is more than most have
It’s a time of memories
If your brain is still working
All those friends no longer with you
Still comfort you
Metaphorically
Those enemies
Who no longer threaten you
Tap you on the shoulder
Metaphorically
And you find there is no one there
The few you have loved
Now that is the hardest loss
For they gave you a raison d’être
Made you see a world
Sans hostility
And helped you believe
You could do things well
Be glad when the sun rises
And not sad when it sets
All gone now
Time relentlessly wins
That is the way of things

A Call To Harms

Hey!
Where are you?
Can’t you see you’re needed?
You are so filled with your own importance
You’re away on your own business
Leaving me aged ninety
In harms way
With all my follies
My self pity
My longings
My narcissism
My desperate isolation
My lingering dreams still of a better life
All this is my reward
For my past interest in your destiny
My enduring friendship
Down all those years
Can’t you see what’s happening to me?
How my circumstances crush me?
How loneliness contaminates my life?
How I’m faltering in a world I’m soon to leave?
So where are you?
Come to me please
Give me your company
Your awareness of my needs
Your attention to my humour
Your worldliness that transcends my stupidity
So that in my brief remaining time
We can share laughter again
To dim the pain
So I can remain
In refreshing respite in your company

Consequence

I have
Always been
A bit of a dreamer
Filled with hope
When the going gets tough
It’s a funny thing that
Old age is the time of dreams
But the trouble is
Then they rarely seem to come true
Take me for instance
I’m ninety
Walking is painful
Confined to indoors
Apart from my loving wife
My only company is TV and YouTube
So
When Esther is asleep or away
I actually get lonely
That’s when the trouble starts
Not an ideal situation
And yet
You have plenty of time
To write poems
So hey there, all you friends
Who’ve discarded me lately
Left me to stew in my own juice
For such a long time
Caused my distress
Agony might be a better way of putting it
It serves you right
Your perfect punishment is this poem

royciebaby