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Finally Finished That Conversation with The Old Man

October 3, 2021 by Rikki Brase Leave a Comment

The Old
By Rikki Brase

There once was an old man
He was the angry, struggling kind
His shadows spoke volumes 
while the future fogged his mind

He was never enough
He always came in last
His bad habits turned his feet
To face the Shame of his past

Does his life have purpose?
Does he qualify for growth?
Can a man trade his past for
A little unearned hope?

The man's eyes wept
as his answer filled his head
Good life don't exist
For a man of my stead

Hunching down the street 
The old man waddled his way
to a brick road with a sign
That read "You deserve today"

A girl then met his side
Smiling at the sign
Hi there sir, have you dreamt 
Dreams of all kinds?

Dreamt of new places
Dreamt of new life
Dreamt because dreaming 
gives hope within strife

I'll tell you now
The old man said
Hoping ain't made for
A man of my stead!

I hoped back then
But that came with a cost
You see dreaming asks for
Heart - mine's long-gone, lost

So don't tell me there's a song
Stop telling me lies
My years of experience
Justify my cries

The street fell silent
The empty space cold
This girl then wondered
If her heart would grow old

Too old to smile
Too old to hope
Too old to dream beyond what 
Reality wrote

The girl was lost in thought
The girl was confused
The girl was losing heart
While the old man mused

As he saw her somber stare
On the face of such youth
He began to ask the question
Am I telling the truth?

The old man groaned himself
Up, off that brick road
To gift the girl the beliefs
He thought he'd never ever know

His cold hands folded over his 
warming heart as he waddled her way
But before he could reach her
HIs thoughts began to fray

Why on earth
have I held regrets
This long - Was I afraid?

Afraid to let old go
Afraid to hurt again
Afraid to try and fail
Afraid to see my sin

Stay to let me prove my frown
I'd say to all my friends
Stay to see this weight I hold
Will never meet its end

I hear you, said the girl
Which startled this old man
For he thought his thoughts 
Were inside his head
Unheard, Unseen, Unfound

Why, old man,
Have you believed
Lies that led to tears?

Why has hope
been so far fetched,
leaving you with fears?

And if you're right
Where do you schedule painful living
To your remaining years?

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

He wheezed
He cracked
He belly laughed
He grinned 
His face turned red

He laughed
He cried
It wouldn't stop
His old heart
Leapt from dead

The old man looked
into her bashful eyes
and told her his 
real truth

I have struggled
I have felt pain
I have not gotten over that
But today in all the hurt
It sure felt good to laugh

You got me laughing hard
Saying that bit about scheduling pain
No one plans for that, but
Hurt happens and it stains

Help me little girl
Tell me of your hope
How do I rid of my pain
I wear like a coat?

She glanced at the sign
Then back at the old boy
I fill life with things of purpose
Then, In Christ I find joy 

xo R.B

Wonder. Ask. Repeat.

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