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Senior Crew
Posts: 131
Location: Communist Humboldt County | Subject: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
I'm not feeling to well this morning and suddenly after taking my noon meds I receive this via email. It lifted my spirits and I hope it does the same for all who read it and do pass it along to the ones they love and cherish.
PEP
A 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 co 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 been made based on his simple, 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
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 teach 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 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, nurse . . . . . . . . . . .open and see..
Not a crabby old man . . Look closer . . and 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.
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1431
| Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
Great poem PEP!  |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
PEP, My wife, Sharon, is the Asst. Admin. at a local nursing home here in Charleston. I am coping this poem so she can post in in her office for all the employees to see. Hopefully, the words will sink in to those that need to be reminded.
Thanks, Mate!!!! |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 131
Location: Communist Humboldt County | Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
Ya know, when I am blessed to be able to pass something along with so much feeling attached to it and it just can't help but to produce nothing but a positive influence and everyone who reads it, just enforces my belief that I'm no where near ready to check out because God isn't finished using my skinny body. It seems to go in little spurts, that special feeling I mean. Just little reminders of my faith and that being human we are expected to make mistakes but with that goes one should also learn by those very mistakes. You just never know when meeting someone new really what kind of a person they are by assuming anything. I met a Mr. Limm a few years ago who was living in a senior citizens residence where I went to visit a close friend of my mothers who happen to live next door to Mr. Limm. It was a sunny real nice day out so I went over and introduced myself to him and he invited me in for a cup of coffee. What I learned about this man was totally unexpected and most incredable! On his mantle was a picture of him and Bruce Lee obviously before lee's death. There were also a couple small framed pictures of him in uniform with a few of his Army buddies. Man for the next hour I listened on the edge of my chair of some of his experiences then he pulled from the drawer of a small writing desk a small box with the ribbons he had earned. Needless to say I was very humbled listening to this man. Did I mention that he was of Japanese ancestry born in SF and schooled by the calif school system. One story he told really stuck with me because of his facial expressions and the way he told the story. He was assigned as a combat photographer and was in the landing party at Iwo Jima I think. It's been several years since he told me his experience. He has since passed away with no know family. The government paid the tab complete with full military honors. He said that the first thing he did when he finally got to shore and a place where he wasn't gonna be killed at least for the time being, he found an officer or a senior enlisted and made damn sure he wasn't mistaken for the enemy! Guess it's one of those things that you just had to have been there because he kept me in stitches for over an hour. In the box he retrieved from the desk drawer was 1 Silver star 2 bronze stars with I think a gold leaf, another individual ribbon attached to another both with gold border, only two that were worn on the right side of his uniform. I can't remember what they were. My father had one of those also for one of the battles in the Pacific as a Combat Medic. Mr. Limm was a very soft spoken individual with a sense of humor that I never would have guessed. He had lost his wife of 51yrs 3 yrs prior and he wasn't in to good of health either at the time. He was in his late 70's I would have to assume. When he died I felt compelled to submit under his standardized Obit what I knew of his military time.
Guess it boils down to never ever pass judgement based only on the books cover. I haven't thought of Mr. Limm since he died I guess because I'm sorry to say, more involved in my own situation.
This thread really made me feel real good and that is another little something that I am grateful for!
PEP |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1814
Location: Boydton, Virginia | Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
Paul,
You yourself are an inspiration to us all! Hang in there, Shipmate. It is still worth the ride.
BTW you haven't updated us lately on Clisty?
God Bless!
Steamboat sends |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 217
| Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
Nice poem, Paul. Thanks.
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Senior Crew
Posts: 131
Location: Communist Humboldt County | Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
Her daughter who lives not far from us took her to a little family reunion in the sanddunes near Newport Oregon last week. I was worried about her the whole time but she is one hard headed and determined woman let me tell you. Only one of her son's actually showed up with each having their own 4 wheeler Atv's so with oxygen inhand she had a great time with minimal down time. She came back really missing her grandchildren's growing up so she told me last night that she decided to move back to Wash State with her youngest son I guess, she didn't say only announced that she is planning on moving north here soon. suddenly everything has been turned upside down which may or maynot have any bearing on the way my guts keep doing the jitterbug regardless of what pills I've been taking just for that reason.
Here I am venting to the whole damn world.
Steamboat thanks for asking and for your geniune concern. Thats some powerful medicen believe me. I've still got my sights set on SD next year God willing.
PEP |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
Location: Belleview, Fl | Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
PEP keep you chin up shipmate, you can beat this damned thing you are a submariner for goodness sake and alll know that at times we DO walk on water when needed. Clystie will be back my friend, you two have been through a lot together and make sure she knows how you care about her before it is too late.
Thank you for the poem and then the story, it brought a tear to my eye as I read both because I have been to the nursing homes while visiting relatives and then seeing the words brought to life in his story and theirs as they related it to me over the years before they passed..
Ladies and Gentleman may I propose a toast to those whom have gone before us and given their all so that we can have or freedom as we know it today and to those who are passing the torch on to the next generation.
Darrin |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
Here-here!!!!!!! |
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A poem my pastor just sent to me via email
