Cool, Old Guys

Every one knows those cool old guys
who seem like they’ve always been there,
you see them in bit parts in movies,
they seem to pop up everywhere.

Sometimes they sing a new duet
with a hot, young star on the rise,
then ten years later, do it again,
with a whole new starlet this time.

You see them telling stand-up jokes,
the kind the young comics never will,
because honestly, at that age
what career do you have left to kill?

They’ll sit down on the late-night shows,
bantering with grand wit and charm,
blessed with the confidence of age,
there’s little that gets them alarmed.

You grow up seeing cool old guys,
institutions that live and breathe,
even if they don’t top the charts
they’re always a joy just to see.

You try to get to their concerts,
they become a right-of-passage,
become memes you share with your friends,
their best lines you use as adage.

In the background they’ve always been
throughout the life that you’ve led,
then one day you wake up and find out
that old Frank Sinatra is dead.

Then Johnny Cash, not long after,
and the Gipper, now he’s gone too.
Eventually, your grandparents go,
and the past they once linked to you.

Pillars that once seemed eternal,
crumble until there is only dust,
things that once seemed so very close
now seem to be nothing but rust.

Sure you can still hear the old songs,
watch the films of those bygone days,
but it becomes a mere shadow,
with them gone it is never the same.

And it feels a bit like you're adrift,
a rudderless boat on the sea,
times flies by, the cool, old guys die,
and the world seems a little less happy…

Copyright © | Year Posted 2019



Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Be the first to comment on this poem. Encourage this poet.

Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter