Peter Rees Poet Rhyme

Time To Go

In my old age 
I thought I’d have such yarns to tell,
of derring-do when I was hale and hearty.
Looking back, I wonder now just what befell
me in those years
and did I miss the party?
Distant echoes further fade
as all the days slip by.
An aproned lady combs my hair 
and tells me I should try
once more to do the jigsaw,
but I really don’t know why.
They tell me I have new friends now,
sitting in a circle, wiggling toes,
or neatly slipper-clad, arranged in rows,
we sing “We”ll meet again”
at bedtime with our cocoa,
smoothing out the pain.
But well we know, when it’s time to go,
it’s our “au revoir” refrain.

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Gary Radice October 16, 2021 at 2:28 AM Old age is revered and respected in many countries of the world but somehow, for some reason, I don't sense that's the way here in the UK. Your poem of an elderly person (possibly in a nursing home) has the power to make me shiver Peter, with its themes of loss and missed opportunities wrapped up in the helplessness of a system that, sadly doesn't respect as much as it should do. A powerful and beautifully poignant write. Cheers - Gary Peter Rees October 18, 2021 at 5:40 AM Many thanks for these all-too-true observations, Gary. Sadly, for very many, old age is the biggest challenge they’ve ever faced.