Where Did He Go

Where did he go? 
The young man of height and charm, 
with a pleasant mien and a love of women, 
who would often give to him far than he deserved....

When was it he perished? 
This young and careless man 
who flew freely into a war zone, 
to a city of grace under siege by evil, 
where death was sudden, random, quiet--
if you heard the explosion, 
then you knew you were whole....

Where did he go? 
This dauntless globe trotter, 
landing in one country with
only a few bucks, yet unworried: 
he knew, just knew he'd find a job,
make friends, be all right.... 
Once in Tokyo he held a 100 yen coin 
in his hand, all the money he had 
in this vast, indifferent world, and smiled, 
the way only youth can smile, 
as old age is still an abstract, 
a foreign land of little interest.

And so the old man ate the young man 
as the old long have devoured youth
since life burst forth in an empty world. 

In truth though, it was only my old body 
that subsumed the godlike one that once 
carried my soul in this world of light and 
darkness and but four dimensions....

Now the mirror shows me an old man 
but it's a trick! I am sure it is, for 
I know the young man is hiding within--
he, me, I am twenty-four, 
only 24 years old and I do not ever age, 
not since, well, I was twenty-four....

You can laugh, I don't care, 
for I am young and will always be young, 
in this life, and I guess 
in the next one too....

3/4/18

Copyright © | Year Posted 2018



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Date: 4/5/2018 12:07:00 AM
Congrats on your win with this great poem, L.J.
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Carber Avatar
L. J. Carber
Date: 4/5/2018 8:39:00 AM
Thank you Line , as always, much appreciated
Date: 4/1/2018 4:37:00 PM
Congratulations on your placement with this very human, well expressed poem.
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Carber Avatar
L. J. Carber
Date: 4/2/2018 8:42:00 AM
Thank you Susan, much appreciated!
Date: 4/1/2018 11:00:00 AM
L. J. I have that feeling when I try to play basketball with my grandkids....you know....my mind says....."cut, break, jump" and my body says...."Hey, who do you think your talking to"...thanks for entering the contest
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Carber Avatar
L. J. Carber
Date: 4/2/2018 8:41:00 AM
Oh yeah, John, I'm with you there!
Date: 3/5/2018 2:57:00 PM
It is said that age is only related to how one feels. So maybe you only feel 24. It is good it that is so. Enjoyed reading your work. Thanks for the visit to my page. Sara
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Kendrick Avatar
Sara Kendrick
Date: 3/7/2018 8:30:00 AM
Sorry to hear of your near death experience. Most people that have this happen have a life changing attitude following it so that they feel they have a need to use their life for something special. Thanks for the visits to my page. Sara
Carber Avatar
L. J. Carber
Date: 3/6/2018 8:14:00 AM
Thank you Sara, for your kind words-- I know it sounds a bit strange i don't 'feel' 24 so much as I am 24-- perhaps because I almost drowned at that age. It is said that everyone has a 'true age' within their minds.
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