Respect for the elderly, poetry…

*

He lived in a shanty far down the lane
old man and his corns, stooped over in pain
his head out the window, loudly he'd shout
hightail off my property, useless louts
~
Sniffing in disgust, disappears in a huff
so many despised his demeanour, gruff
shopping in town, he'd go out of his way
to snort at the grocer, making his day
~
Cheap as the cardigan draped on his back
smoked like a chimney, he wheezed, and he hacked
nostrils aflair as he marched away mad
snarling about his bad knees and sad
~
Ever the topic of chatter in town
the man they deplore, so silly a clown
who seldom has a smile upon his face
older man in the shanty hides in disgrace 
*

My friends, we are living in ever-changing times. Whatever happened to kindness and respect extended to those older in years? We will all be at that stage in life where pain diminishes the body and frustrates the soul. We may well be slower; we may be forgetful, enjoy different clothing, hair turning gray, our language absent the vulgarity of today. We are humans, now and always; we need friends, family, and love too.  Don't turn your backs on us older people too. Love and kindness help us embrace life to the fullest because we want and need that too!

What experiences have you had regardless of your age? Are kindness and respect for seniors a positive, wholesome experience for you and if so, why? Please share your thoughts on this subject!


© Don MacIver, Poet 2004; All rights reserved

Photo by Balij Malliswamy on Unsplash.com