- CRABBY OLD MAN
- When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte, Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value
- Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem . Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital .
- One nurse took her copy to Missouri . The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
- And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet ...
- Crabby Old Man
- What do you see nurses? . . 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 .... . ... . . . . . . . I 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!!
- Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . . . we will all, one day, be there, too!
- PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM
- The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched ... They must be felt by the heart .
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