Crabby old Lady

[pwd72s]

This came in from an "older" lady friend of my wife:

Crabby Old Lady

When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a
small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was believed
that she had nothing left of any value. Later, when
the nurses were going through her 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 Ireland.

The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since
appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine
of the North Ireland
Association for Mental Health. A slide
presentation has also been made based on her simple,
but eloquent, poem. And this little old Scottish lady,
with nothing left to give to the world, is now the
author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the
"Crabby Old Woman."

What do you see, nurses?
What do you see?
What are you thinking
When you're looking at me?

A crabby old woman,
Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit,
With faraway eyes?

Who dribbles her 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 stocking 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 girl of sixteen
With wings on her feet
Dreaming that soon now
A lover she'll meet.

A bride 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 woman 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 man'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 husband is 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 woman
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 girl 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 woman;
Look closer . . . see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an old
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. IT'S SOMETHING WE ALL
NEED TO READ.

[Don Ro]

Oh my! Precious and moving.

Copied and pasted, sent to a few...
Safe-keeping for myself when I am old, too.
.
Thank you.

[cashflyer]

I'm not really into old people that much...

[azasadny]

Thanks!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Thanks for sharing - that strikes a chord.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by cashflyer
I'm not really into old people that much...

Keep breathing long enough and you will be.

[cashflyer]

My wife and I were driving back from The Dragon this past weekend when we saw a billboard depicting heaven on the left side and hell on the right. Down the middle was the question, "Where will you be 5 minutes after you die?"

My wife looked at me and said, "Where will YOU be five minutes after you die?"

My answer:

"In the car, right next to you."


She's still a little freaked out about that.

[Moneyguy1]

cash:

Many young people fear the old, because they are a stark reminder of the young's own future.

Aging is inevitable.

[on-ramp]

Old age is an island surrounded by death.

[scottmandue]

Kind and thoughtful...

What is this board coming to?

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by scottmandue
Kind and thoughtful...

What is this board coming to?

You gotta wonder.

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
...Aging is inevitable.

Aging is inevitably, but "getting old" can be avoided.

[Don Ro]

Trying to remember the saying...so I'll paraphrase...

"I wish all of life's problems would have shown up when I was young and knew it all."

- - Don't remember who said that.

[dhoward]

"The next time your ball lands in my yard, I'm keeping it!"