The Old Man in the Evening
K. Radhakumar *
Do not think
This is the story
Of the old man next door,
It is about you.
Married at 28
Father at 30
Two sons and a daughter
First son died young
A widower at 65
Survives his wife
By twenty years
Lives with his second son
The second son and daughter
His only relatives in the world
In the silence of the noisy world
Like a library full of rooms
Crowded with books
Still no problems of blood pressure
Blood sugar level and heart trouble
Has a great sense of humour
Ask him how he is these days
'Oh, surviving,' he will smile back.
The grandchildren have got
The old man and his pet dog
To play with any time;
They like him, the nice old man.
One of life's great survivors
The old man is.
To all outward appearances,
He is happy.
'Is he really happy?'
'Your guess is as good as mine.'
He sometimes sits alone
In the small space in the kitchen garden
And looks up and sees the sky
Like a blue bird spreading its wings.
It is about five in the evening
Out come his grandchildren
And ask him to play with them.
The old man enjoys playing
With his own flesh and blood.
Life is all about moving on
Looking forward to a brighter tomorrow;
When life asks him to move along
He has to
For he sings songs of innocence
With his grandchildren.
The old man knows
He has to live till he dies
Sometimes remembering the dead
And in the company of the living.
* Poem written by K. Radhakumar which was published at The Sangai Express
This poem was webcasted on May 17, 2020.
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