Sunday, June 29, 2008

When We Are Old


I modified the following poem, "When I Am Old," by an unknown author to be inclusive of both Betty and me.






"When We Are Old"

When we are old
We shall wear diamonds and wide brimmed straw hats
With silver and leather on it,
And we shall spend our Social Security
On white wine and carrots,
And sit in the alley of our stable
And listen to Gletta and Morgunn breathe.

We will sneak out
In the middle of a summer's night
And ride our Icelandic Horses
Across the moonstruck meadow
If our old bones will allow.

When people come to call we will smile and nod
As we walk them past the courtyard gardens to the stable
And show, instead, the beauty growing there
In stalls fresh with grain and hay.
We will shovel and sweat and
Wear hay in our hair as if it were a jewel.

And we will be an embarrassment to all
Who look down on us.
They've not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend,
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With nuzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the kind of old man and woman
We will be when we are old.

Today is June 29 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Fred Gandy (actor - Gopher on "The Love Boat"), Richard Lewis (comedian), Gary Busey (actor - "The Buddy Holly Story"), Slim Pickens (actor - "Dr. Strangelove"), Little Eva (singer - "Locomotion"), and Ray Harryhausen (stop motion artist - "Clash of Titans").

4 comments:

TjandMark/AKA PearlandHawkeye said...

Ahh, you made me cry. Tj
Mark says Wow, so nice. So personal.

The Wades said...

You are such a sensitive booger! With that Mother's Day tribute and now this! Love it.

Trailboss said...

Yesterday was my brother's 54th birthday. I will tell him about your site!

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

What an amazing poem. Should be published for all of us 'older' horse riders to enjoy and appreciate.

Your horses are absolutely gorgeous, too. And the two of you look so happy.