When I Am Old

(I first posted this when few people had discovered the site. I have decided it deserves better distribution, so here goes. 🙂  )

…..
WHEN I AM OLD

When I am old, do you suppose
That hairs will grow out of my nose,
And as I count the passing years
Will tufts of it sprout from my ears?

When arms and legs are thin and frail
And memory begins to fail
Shall I recall those days gone by
When passing women sought my eye?

When face is wrinkled, fold on fold,
And summer heatwaves leave me cold,
And teeth are gone, and eyes are weak,
Shall I lose all desire to speak?

When I have lived my lifespan through
And found at last a perfect view
Will others see there no more than
The mumblings of a mad old man?

When I am always far away,
Too deaf to hear a word you say,
Your feelings – will they be the same
When I keep asking you your name?

When mind’s decayed, and flesh repels,
And speech no longer casts its spells;
When I am old, then we shall see
Just what it was you loved in me.