How We Are Dying in Old Age
(A POEM)

Shunned from the world’s eyes
Like birds in a flock—who
No longer have a voice, nor
Can talk—:
To cities they come and side streets
They go, one by one, to die!
(Down from the mountains
Out from the valleys
One by one,
Their pain etched in their faces…
And eyes wrinkled, telling
Of their impending fate,
Ostracized from society,
They beg, lay in wait,--
For death,
And it comes;
Then they are gone!

No: 1894 7-5-2007

Commentary: life is not always fair is it, and so many people are thrown into old folk’s homes, places of care, out of sight and mind of their loved ones, without a morsel of dignity. This is going on every place you can think of nowadays, in the USA, as well as Peru and other places. The cities are being crowed in third world countries because of this phenomenon, where at one time the strong in the family, the children in particular, took care of the weak, feeble, and frail old folks, not so anymore. The new philosophy is: ‘…we got to go live, they lived their lives.´ (I call it wisdom lost.) Young folks think all the wisdom is in knowledge and they are so wrong, it is in life itself, living it, deep inside those old wrinkles (my mother lived with me her last several years, and I would not trade her wisdom, and calmness for all the money on earth). Anybody can read a book (flying to the moon is not so difficult, it was done 35-years ago, so what, what have we got out of it, besides a big tax bill?), but not so many can raise a family; not everyone is equipped psychosocially to handle a family. Once compassion is lost, coldness rules, and you can expect it to circle your way in a matter of time, and that time comes pretty quick.

Dedicated to: Nelly N. for her work with old folks in Huancayo, Peru