The Despair Of Having Nothing To Do Poem by Shalom Freedman

THE DESPAIR OF HAVING NOTHING TO DO

The despair of having nothing to do
Does not belong to old age alone
But old age specializes in it
So many days
So much time
Of emptiness
Of no one needing or wanting anything
Of no need to do anything beside
Eat and drink and sleep if possible-

It is sad
It is painful
It is true
Some volunteer and try to do good
But in the end
The long days
And longer nights
Tell only of one's own empty nothingness-