~ That helpless feeling ~
In Our Senior Years
I saw him from a distance,
an elderly gentleman,
whose memory still haunts me.
He had white hair and glasses,
walked with a cane,
and leaned forward
as if unsteady on his feet.
I was heading toward
my own aging parents’ house,
to pay them a visit,
when he came into view.
A younger woman,
perhaps his daughter or wife,
stood near him as he took careful steps
along the sidewalk.
As I came closer,
I could feel my heart racing,
as if panicked by the sight
of his frail stature.
As quickly as that feeling came,
another took its place.
I immediately turned my gaze away,
trying to see the road ahead,
through tears that seemed
to burst out of nowhere,
blurring my vision.
As I continued driving slowly,
words came flying from my mouth,
and I heard myself cry out,
“I want to still know YOU
as an old man!
I want to love YOU
in your senior years.”
Then in a whisper,
moistened with salty tears,
“I LOVE YOU!”
My parents only lived
a short block up the road
from this quiet old man
who was taking a peaceful
stroll that day.
But as I tried in vain
to dry my eyes,
the last minutes of driving
were so difficult,
and seemed to last forever...
I felt as though my soul
had been punctured,
and all hope had escaped.
Seeing the faces of the elderly can make us realize how short life truly is and can even make us wonder if we will ever reach that age in life. Great poem Nadine, emotional thoughts expressed so very well.
loving gentle poem
A fantastic write, Nadine.
A very humane write with lots of love and sympathy. The intriguing part is wonderful.
Intriguing write, Nadine... I feel there's a lot unsaid... And what might it be...? To each of us, there's something or someone haunting us in our memories.. The last 3 lines are great..
As usual, words woven with tenderness - you should be a romantic novelist, you have what it takes. Your pen speaks to the soul and the heart, well done. I will not dwell on the actual subject, I know there is more here than you wish to share, but still, what you gave us was lovely, no, not lovely, Sana has it right, intriguing and also a personal enigma with subtle undertones that wish to be heard, but shy from being unleashed.