ONCE THEY TOO WERE YOUNG

Written after a visit to the VA outpatient clinic in Fort Worth, 2017. Apologies, a hand shake, and a salute to the sisters who I left out... but, this is what I saw that day.

ONCE THEY TOO WERE YOUNG

By: Donovan Baldwin

Once they too were young.

They tried it all back then,

And did not walk with canes

Or squint to see

Dim words upon a page,

Or cup their hands

Behind their ears

To hear the soft voice

Which called their name...

Next to see the doc.

Once, they were the young

And salty lads,

Scoffing at half blind

And deaf old men

Shuffling with their canes,

Ogling young women

While remembering

When they had tried it all...

As the old men kept

The secret passed

Once to them

By still older men...

"Scoff now while you can,

My son,

For I am you grown old."