Old Man Friend of Mine

old man friend of mine old man friend of mine skin of leather heart of stone sits alone a dying old thing in an age old chair wearing his old man clothes two decades of sweaters buttoned up to his chin heavy wool pants cover his thin bony knees and through all his wrappings he sees his world spread before him in memories and in dreams of days when she stood smiling before him old man friend of mine views me us all through rheumy sight and speaks in a high shrilled pitch and has old age wisdom and old age ways he feels death coming for him and senses his end of days old man friend of mine lives in a gray house even the windows and ceiling and walls are colored like clay the floors are covered with dust and decay old man friend of mine we have been here before stood on this porch passed through this door the first time for me we did it together we ran into the house out of the storm of rainy windy weather all too soon old man friend of mine won't answer the phone when i call or come to the door when i ring i am already thinking "what do we do with his rags and things" old man friend of mine this time i am alone my heart is broken feels like a stone weighing in my chest it's best for me not to come here again opening this door will only draw out the pain but i will come again tomorrow