At 77 years old
A retired New York City cop
A Korean War Veteran
Husband of 1
Father of 4
Grandfather of 3
(Including me)

He sits and waits
(For what, I can't be sure)
And naps in every room of the house
At least twice a day
Mixes up his days and nights
Answers the phone
When the alarm clock sounds off
And he smiles through every moment of it
Laughs, jokes, brushes it off

But you need only to look him
Square in his blue eyes
To detect a tragic hint of humiliation
And the distinct evidence of a man
Defeated by his age

He could break your heart
If you met his gaze
And understood just what
He feels he's been reduced to

Once a proud man
A pillar for his family
Ne he leans
On a cane
And his wife and (grand)daughters

And none if it seems fair to me
This isn't what he put his life
On the line for every day for years
he didnt work so hard for it all
To just turn fuzzy and slip
Right out of his control

And the worst part is
While he's feeling defeated
He doesnt know that his famliy
Could never be more proud
Of the life he built for us
And the love that old age
Just can't conquer

07/17/2005

Author's Note: Not Alzhiemers. Not so far.

Posted on 07/17/2005
Copyright © 2025 Amy Wustrin