The 80-year old Teenager
I see in this poem so many of the fears I have as a man. I think I had better resign myself to them and face them like a man. No? Oh well. This is written by Dare @theDharkone our latest poet on this blog…Enjoy…
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He sits in the mahogany rocker.
His face to the sun
He cricks arthritic fingers
He rubs wrinkled skin
He remembers…
Turning sixteen
Drugs. Girls. Music.
The milestone eighteenth
Sex. Blood. More drugs. fights.
The twenty-first birthday
Tripping on acid. Bashing his father’s car. Escaping death.
He remembers…
His first true love.
Her laugh. Her skin. Her smile.
The Wedding.
Laughter. Cake. His late mother-in-law.
The First child.
His screams. Her blood. His tears.
He remembers…
The Fear.
The first grey hair.
His son’s deepening voice.
His wife drifting away.
The pain.
His slowing heartbeat.
His son leaving home.
His wife’s tears
The End…
Sitting in his rocking chair.
His first grandchild.
His wife’s death.
He sinks into the inky darkness
“Wake up!” he hears. His eyes open.
The old man stands over him.
He rises from his grandfather’s mahogany rocker,
Leaving the fear of life behind
Tomorrow he turns twenty
Life has just begun.
Hmm..I really dont get poems…but did he die or what?
Oh dear, this poem is not even deep. 🙁 I will tell you in ur ear…
🙁
Kemi dear don’t be sad. I normally don’t get poems myself. 🙁
I wish this was Twitter, I would have retweeted your comment.
But he didn’t die sha, his granfather just kicked him awake 😀
That’s why I like Lagos Hunter. Spot on! Thanks. 😀
Seen…
Simple and subtle…I’m not really good at analysing poems so I’d just say this was really good..I wonder why he’d remember his mother in law though lol
And there I thought it was a past-life regression. . .nice one Dare
One of my most ambitious pieces. The boy has an overactive imagination sha!. 🙂
My Dare is all grown up and writing poetry. I’m proud of you.
The verb, remembers in the first paragraph made it seem more like memory than what it really is, a fear of the future.
I would side with Kemi on not getting it till I read Lagos Hunter’s comment.
The verb, remembers…
I love this poem for its simplicity and also its brevity. Good one, Dare.
I do this a LOT. But my gramps is dead so my mom has to kick me back to reality. *sigh* Dare, why so worried? Bravo!
@afrosays Lets just say, he aged himself in that rocker and turned 80 in his mind. Hence the ‘remembers’, he’s first puts himself in an eighty year old’s shoes and then remembers. 🙂
I wish I could ‘see’ my future like this.
Lol. If you could see it, wouldn’t you be sorely tempted to end it, assuming it was unfavourable and painful? 🙁
Hmm… The fear of the unknown
Some things you cannot change, but till you try you’ll never know. take the leap.
Lol. You make growing up sound like a choice. *sighs* Guess I have to grow up then.
I fink dis wuz quite gud. iLike!
You know, I think the poets on this corner are doing OK.
Hmmmmmm…….
WOW! Wonderful Piece… I Never Knew You Were This Talented…. And I Really Wish I Culd See My Future Like This… Nice One.. Bravo!
I love this poem…the insight into his future ish is simple and yet original and classic….lucky dude, I bet he’s on the way to correcting or at least trying to correct all his errors….again, wonderful piece.
@SIREradical reads blogs???? Cooool!