Crabby Old Man

What do you sees nurse? . . . . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man .. . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice .. . . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . .. . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . .. . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . .. . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . .. to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . . . . . babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years .. . . . . and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man . . . . Look closer . .. . see ME!!

Beauty Parlor

When I called Mom today at the usual time she was waiting in the beauty parlor to get her hair done. Tuesday is Beauty Parlor Day for Mom at OAR. It always seems to perk her up and she feels better after getting her hair done. Mom was a licenced cosmetologist in the sixties and had her own shop until her back gave out on her and she had to have surgery. After that she worked in the wig department in a major department store.

I received the info from DSHS on Mom's Medicaid benefits and got the bill at OAR all straightened out through July. Snickers and Popcorn were out of State for a week and Mom became a little anxious during that time and made several calls to me for reassurance. I was there with her last Tuesday and had lunch with her. Every thing went well. When Snickers got home from the trip she picked up Mom for a visit at their house and Mom once again became very confused when it was time to settle in again back at OAR and also made several calls from her cell phone to Snickers for reassurance.

Ladybug went up to Everette to spend the day with her Mother who is also in a rest home. She is 90 years old and failing. Her weight is down to 89 Lbs. and she is on morphine for pain from her osteoporosis.