A Lifetime Poem by Barry Middleton

an old man sits on a bench
and looks out at the green lake

he thinks in the past tense
of all that was and is no more

in spring he remembers winter
a cold wind occupies his mind

in summer he recalls the spring
the sweet aroma of wildflowers

in the silence he hears an echo
a small boy playing in the park

he carries a thousand memories
and hums a time worn melody

an old man sits beside the lake
and quietly looks back on his life

for a moment his withered hands
remind him of all they once held