The Old Man Could See

The Old Man Could See By Cat Ferman UCLA, 1969 My dad's late for class again. He spots a girl from Sweden And asks her out again. My mom says so unsure, but calmly and kind, "I suppose that would be alright, I guess that'll be just fine." And from that moment on They stayed together In the warm weather Making each day more alive. My dad, Mr. Ferman, a Jewish local man, refused to leave her side, And although a good man Was not a Lutheran Interested as he was in reading the new testament Which he did. ------------------------------------- Winter break arrived, and my mom missed home. Not sure she would come back in the spring She gave her mom and dad a ring To tell them about the man who made her heart sing My dad's parents gave her a ride to the airport that morning. With no delay about it, My dad prayed about it Then he knew what to do. At the very last minute Searching the kitchenette and everything in it To keep the girl he loved more than anything He grabbed his passport on the way out the door And he had no luggage or money, as he was poor. When she checked in, my dad and his parents sat in the car, briefly, Before my dad would ultimately go in to make peace with goodbye. But first One last try: He asked his parents again, "Mom, could I please have some-?" "No." "But why?" They had no good answer for him. Because though she was loyal Her blood to them wasn't royal No matter how noble she was. An old Jewish man in the airport Sitting next to them The old man could see. Reflecting back on moments in his memory He saw love in my dad's eyes he recognized in himself For the wife he had who was in poor health From old age Who didn't have much longer to live As both were getting older And the seasons were getting colder. He decided right then - my dad needed a friend So the old man who could see Told my dad, plainly, "Well, I was going to sell this ticket, you see To that man over there with all that money, Surely, that would be the best for me, But, I'm going to give it to you for free." 50 years later They're still together Seven kids and ten grandchildren later The stern clarinet player (and a generous doctor) And the angelic, maternal and artistic oil painter.