The Old Man In The Corner by Shiloh

He smiles as he sits there,
sometimes nodding as if in agreement
with something he has heard in his memories.
He is relaxed
and seems to be enjoying
whatever conversations he is party to
as he travels back down this path,
then that one,
remembering events and meetings
and encounters
from when he was younger
and not confined to his wheelchair.
He smiles, in contrast to his surroundings,
in spite of his condition,
regardless of the way his life is now,
because he has found a way to escape
what physically holds him back;
his mind is his vehicle,
his memories are his destinations,
and he has all the pleasures of a traveler,
as he sits in his chair in the corner by the window.
His family no longer visits very often,-
they have things more important in their lives.
And while he is still alert and able to understand,
and able to feel the hurt,
he accepts it,
because he has discovered his way
of handling being alone.
He sits in his chair, or lays in his bed,
and peoples the rooms in his mind
with old ghosts and old friends
from the days when he was younger,
and those memories are enough
to bring a smile to his face,
and the smile makes him look a lot younger,
and the memories make him feel a lot younger.
So when you see him smile
as he sits in his chair in the corner,
don't think that he is out of it,
don't write him off as being beyond reach,
but understand that he has found another realm
where he can be happy once again
in his memories in his chair by the window.

anonymous (71.217.53.29) -- Saturday, August 25 2007, 04:16 am

Nice!
Very nice poem shiloh.Thanks for the read.

Catyrose (128.123.84.125) -- Saturday, December 29 2007, 12:08 am

Superb poem
Written with a rare and sensitive understanding. Thank you so much for letting me borrow your poems from time to time, as they not only leave a favorable impact on me, but also on those I read them too. This one really touched me as I just returned from vacation caring for my 90 yr old Dad, and 85 yr. old mother. Thanks for another great poem, Shiloh. Catyrose

Bipedalguy (75.67.182.104) -- Sunday, December 30 2007, 04:27 pm

Absolutely beautiful writing ! ! !
This is a beautiful use of words in a creative expression (with a new perspective) about a subject most of us have observed in our own families.
Truly excellent writing.
Bipe

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