Why Old People Cry

Why Old People Cry

Led in the war
Now only a photo kept in a drawer.
A family pet who gave so much pleasure
just a precious memory that will live forever.
A silly quarrel with a once dear friend ..
regretted now, but too late to mend.

Little children who once sat on their knee
Now too busy to call or off on a spree
Holidays and outings with friends and lovers
brings back happy memories of exciting things discovered.

A day at the races for the first time ever
I chose the winner, you chose the other
I laughed at you and called you a loser
You took the huff and stomped off to the boozer!

A chat with a neighbour by the garden gate
unburdening all our woes,
of war and rations friends and allies
and who we thought were foes

Old friends drifting past in our mind’s eye
we thought it would never end and one day would say goodbye
But it does.

That holiday in Spain where you taught me to dance
The Pasadobla, the Tango…or was that in France,

Days at the beach when the children were small
building sandcastles , eating ice cream, sunburn and all.
trying to teach them all to swim, the splashing the shrieks, they made such a din.

Our daughter was wed at twenty three
and prouder parents there never could be,
two years later she had a son who did not last the year,
the grief felt by all was immeasurable ’twas almost too much to bear.

Time hangs heavy now I’ve lost my spouse
the ghosts and memories haunt the house,
so don’t wonder as we age lost in memories of times gone by
So now you know why old people cry.

Arlene Phillips 2018 ©