Years slipped past, I scarcely knew,
Silent march of time, relentless, true.
Many peers have gone from sight,
Their voices fading into the night.
Alone I stand, amid the younger throng,
With faces fresh, voices strong.
Chide they me with feigned thunder:
“Cheer up, old man, age is just a number.”
Yet, when food or drink tempts my will,
They shake their heads, “It makes you ill.”
My flavors fade, my cup runs dry,
While they freely eat, sitting by.
Dare I dream of roads to roam,
I am told, “Better stay at home.”
“The crowds will tire you,” they declare,
“Such reckless plans you must beware.”
Speak when I, they turn aside,
Dismissing my words, my thoughts besides.
Their glances drift, their patience fades,
Discomfort revealed in many ways.
Once, when they were small and weak,
‘Twas my shoulder that they would seek.
I wiped their eyes, and helped them grow,
Guiding them through the undertow.
Through failure’s sting, childhood tears,
I gave them strength, soothed their fears.
Twilight years, when my needs are slight,
They turn away, and fade from sight.
Ordained perhaps by Nature’s design,
The old must yield, for the young to shine.
The renewal of being, forever rife,
To keep unbroken, the cycle of life.
So, tell me now,
Awake from your slumber,
With all you know,
Is age just a number?
This is super beautiful. What a lovely depiction of how we age, and see our past “fade”. That said, Samir, you engage with people afresh, and tell their stories, so you remain contemporary, never mind your age! With warm regards, and wishing you good health always. Smita
Yes. For the mind.!
Great one Samir.
I decided to be active with a) community work for South City b) Reading one fiction and one non fiction picked up at random at any given time c) online teaching of math to class X Students studying in government schools all over India to enable them get admission to better institutions of higher learning though they cannot afford any coaching classes.
It may be , but you write poetry and we look forward for many more.
Gentle thought Prof.
May be we seek relevance as we “age”. With layers of experience and willingness to apply it, relevance can only increase – acknowledgement may not.
More Poems Prof….
Superb and very nice
Nice one Samir. keep going…
GS
Age
Is an arbitrary marker in the passage
of our lifetime now, but ageless
is our heritage