An Old Man's Story Poem by vittal vandavasu

There was a merry old man
Beneath the blue skies
Defying every ban
He enjoyed telling lies

Merrily walking and singing through his way
He met his jocund friends under trees
Joking and laughing for a while he lay
And then again went for the breeze

Some little children come towards him running
Dragging his stick to provoke him to chase them
And for joy's sake he would, happily grinning
They would sit for hours together on the glen

With great restrain he returns
The one he always detests
Alas in the night he could not roam
But let them dwell upon his rests

The sourest of memories
His son walks away getting married,
His daughter and wife's funeral ceremony
All of this inside he carried

'Maria', he used to call in sleep
'Catherine', he used to call in sleep
In the depths of woe he fell deep
Frail and weak unable to creep

Eventually forgetting bliss he dies
Leaving all his wishes and sighs
Caring not upon all the cries
Giving a letter for all goodbyes

And so did everyone of his friends
The children's play was weary of him
Ah! but those innocent don't know amends
The bliss in them is dim