There is a lyric, somewhere,
lost
between the altruism of truth and hope.
I saw a man today,
crepe paper skinned
encased in an ancient armchair.
Twinkle in his eye,
from his lips came a century’s
memories in a blink of an eye.
His nurses laughed as
stories of his long forgotten
brothers in arms melded
with grandsons and a wife
Twenty years gone
still remembered with a tear.
His family grieved
as he clutched that telegram
from a Queen he’d served with his youth.
Blinded by age,
not seeing the vibrant truth that sat,
in an oversized cardigan before them.
His soul as clear as the day he
squalled from his mothers thighs.
There are truths, and Truths
and lessons
and miracles
and hope.
Where do you look?
There is a lyric, somewhere,
lost
between the altruism of truth and hope.
Musings and Smatterings 
Beautiful, sensitive and thoughtful…
I agree!
Perhaps that lyric lies somewhere within the truth & beauty of this hope-filled poem? So thought-provoking & such a gentle yet constant tempo that seemed to usher me through each line & then stand me still at the end, captured by your first & final stanzas. Super write Shan 🙂
And then she sweeps me off my chair with another stunner! My goodness girl you have a way to capture the mind. Love this very much. 🙂 x
Reblogged this on The Linnet and commented:
Too beautiful not to share!
Peter’s comment has it, Shan. This is a truly lovely poem, full of hope and respect for life. I’m really rather impressed by this piece.
oh wow shan this is beautiful…so sensitive and warm and full of what makes life worth living
yes, just beautiful!
This is REALLY a very, very touching poem!
ah this is beautiful shan…i would love to sit and hear his stories a bit…and maybe he’d let me look at that letter as well…our elders have many a story for those willing to listen…
That’s exactly what I did, I refused to give him a kiss because I had a cold. Didn’t want to infect him, but he was the most fascinating man I’ve met in a long, long time.
yeah, this fits perfect….i read it again, knowing i had read it but knowing how much i loved it the first time…that description in the second stanza….the refrain….this is great writing shan…
There are truths, and Truths
and lessons
and miracles
and hope.
Yes, yes, yes and yes.
A very moving piece on a subject that is becoming more taboo with each passing year.
“I saw a man today, crepe paper skinned encased in an ancient armchair.” Is a really nice image.
Beautiful, i love it!
Ah, a telegram from the Queen. Deserved it, didn’t he?
Nice one.
Incredibly beautiful – a masterpiece of writing.
Anna :o]
Your words convey a wonderful respect for age.
There is. There absolutely is! This is beautiful.
This is an amazing piece of writing, Shân. You have captured both the gifts and the curse of age so beautifully. Word choice is impeccable. A sensitive and perfectly written capture.
The repetition works out very well ~ You have captured him vividly ~
Great capture of receiving the Truth whenever it presents itself and in whatever form it appears.
This is beautiful. Must have come from a beautiful soul. Will you marry me. No, on second thought you probably couldn’t put up with my silly sense of humor at The Poet Laura Ate. But thanks for the thoughts, The Gerontificator.
You make me what to cry with this one…thinking of my dad. Oh so good!
Wow, Shan. This is vivid, astounding actually.
crepe paper skinned
encased in an ancient armchair.
Twinkle in his eye,
from his lips came a century’s
memories in a blink of an eye.
I know this man now.
i remembered this one…full of warmth and beauty…
There is a lyric, somewhere,
lost
between the altruism of truth and hope…wonderful close as well
What a wonderful piece.. loved that old man and the stories he could tell … and the cadence of the poem… wow-
Well, here’s a feather in your poetry cap:
I remembered this one. Amongst the hundreds we read each week, I actually remembered this. Well done, again.
Ah, just scrolled up and Claudia stole my thunder 🙂
I love this, San… especially the second stanza.
I meant Shan, but my iPad auto-corrected. Sorry.
My iphone calls me names on a daily basis. Siri does not appreciate welsh haha
Shan, this touched me so much. I’ve worked with the elderly much of my life and there is so much beauty for those who take time to discover it. Unfortunately, too many of us just see the surface. Personally, I think aging faces are glorious…but now I’m getting there myself.
And the older you get the more wonderful stories you accumulate. There’s so much beauty in age we take forgranted xx
I specially like the crepe paper skinned, his soul as clear as the day ~ The repetition worked so well ~ Beautiful share ~
outstanding piece. Love the way you harness the beautiful here. Great read. thanks
Stunning opening, and I loved how you told the story of the man, and closed with those opening lines again.
i am in love with the beginning & the close – as well as the description of the old man in his armchair… a marvellous piece
~Miriam
love the way you start and end the poem.
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