Actually, I have a parent who IS one of those old souls, who lives in a nursing home now. She is the president of the Resident's Association, and doing very well. But many aren't. This is a wonderful poem about the need to see beyond the ravages of age and often times misfortune, and see the person for who they were, who they are, and who they are becoming, despite the superficiality of the "appearance" of age.

As to the likely "truth" of the back story, I rather doubt the veracity of it. It reads like a classic "Internet legend" piece of folklore. It appears to me to be written by a professional caregiver, or a family member, and not by the "geriatric patient" herself. I say that because of the "moral message" tone of the poem. But it sure rings true for those of us who spend a lot of time with the elderly, so I have no problem with the Hallmark tone of the message.