I Am Too Old Not To Be Humble Poem by Shalom Freedman

I AM TOO OLD NOT TO BE HUMBLE

I am too old not to be humble
I have failed and been rejected
Been disappointed by myself
So much
I have seen so many others
I once had contempt for
Proven better than me
I have seen powers and abilities
I once took for granted
Lost forever
I have seen others do seemingly easily
What I so tried so hard to do

and could not
I am less good
Than I thought I would be
And worse
I become weaker
And lose more and more abilities with time
I have seen so many others I valued and even loved die
And so many once people far more important people than me
Forgotten
I know I have lived far more time and with far greater strength
Than I will in the time ahead
Against my will and against my anticipation
I am humbler than I thought I will be
But I suspect
Not humbler than I will be
In the days and perhaps years ahead.