Pencil Shavings

Monday, February 27, 2006

When I grow old

When I grow old
and my skin’s more spotted than fair
Will you still kiss the cheek
now sagging with age?

If I cannot see, and you cannot hear
Will you squeeze my hand to reassure
that even after the tedious years,
even in the dark,
you will still hold my hand and say,
the words so sweet today?

4 comments:

colinrt said...

do you have the guitar chords to that? ;-)

here's the Beatles' version...


When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
You'll be older too,
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera Chuck & Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

Anonymous said...

Your poem (did you write it?) reminds me of Yeats:

"When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars."

--W. B. Yeats

mis_nomer said...

Ah, what can I say? There is nothing new under the sun :)

Jim Jannotti said...

Maybe nothing new, but still good. Thanks for sharing it.