BS: Crabby Old Man

Subject: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: Tig
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 05:46 PM

This was posted by Kate Walker on another site but felt very right for here.

CRABBY OLD MAN

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte , Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem . Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital

One nurse took her copy to Missouri . The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health.. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.


Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, . ... .. not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . .. . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . .. . . . . and makes no reply .
When you say in a loud voice .. . . . .. 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . ... . the things that you do .
And forever is losing . . . . .. . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . . .. . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me .

I'll tell you who I am . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten ... . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . ... . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . . .. .. . . a lover he'll meet..
A groom soon at Twenty . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . .. . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . .. . . . .. My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons .. . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . .. . . . . . . shudder with dread..
For my young are all rearing . . . . . .. young of their own.
And I think of the years . . .. and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . . .. .. . . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. . . . . . . grace and vigor, depart..
There is now a stone . . . .. . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . .. . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . . . . .. I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . .. . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . .. that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man. Look closer . . . see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . . we will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart.


Kate is still looking for memorabilia/stories/memories of her Dad - Richard Walker aka Mogsy.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:05 PM

With respect for your intent in posting this, and for what it's worth; the poem's title is "Too Soon Old", written by Dave Griffith a number of years ago (or so my google search would have me believe.) The "story" varies, and was added by someone else.

It's always good to really see the folks we meet.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: gnu
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:23 PM

Nonetheless, I have tears. Old German saying... Ve get too soon olt, und too late schmart. That is exactly what the wooden plaque from Germany in Mum's kitchen says.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:23 PM

From Truth or Fiction:

The poem, titled Too Soon Old, was written by Dave Griffith of Fort Worth, Texas. Griffith told TruthOrFiction.com that he wrote the poem more than 20 years ago and that he meant for it to be simple, and too the point, from youth through old age in his own personal life, high school football, Marines, marriage, the ravages of his own disabilities.

Someone took the poem from his site, created a false story about it, and started it circulating on the Internet.

Griffith is the author of more than 500 poems, which are posted on his personal website. TruthorFiction.com had to remove the link to Griffith's site after Google posted a warning that their might be malicious files on the site that could harm the computers of those who visit it.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: gnu
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:29 PM

What a shame.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:30 PM

My grandmother told me she never did feel more than 16 years old.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 07:21 PM

I'll use it in this form at nursing home performances:

CRABBY OLD MAN

What do you see nurses? . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, . ... .. not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . .. . . . . . with faraway eyes?

I'll tell you who I am . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten ... . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . ... . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . . .. .. . . a lover he'll meet..
A groom soon at Twenty . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . .. . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . .. . . . .. My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons .. . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . .. . . . . . . shudder with dread..
For my young are all rearing . . . . . .. young of their own.
And I think of the years . . .. and the love that I've known.

And inside this old carcass . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . .. . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . . . . .. I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . .. . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . .. that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man. Look closer . . . see ME!!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 07:58 PM

An excellent poem and it's nice to be able to credit the composer.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: Tig
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 04:22 PM

Thanks for the extra info. I still feel this should have more people read it and start to think.

Subject: RE: BS: Crabby Old Man
From: gnu
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 02:42 PM

Well agreed. I may send a letter to the editor of our paper to get that done. I hope otherssss do as well.