Nice Poem

Published

CRABBY OLD MAN

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Tampa , Florida , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Missouri . The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? ......What do you see?

What are you thinking......when you're looking at me?

A crabby old man, ..not very wise,

Uncertain of habit .......with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.

When you say in a loud voice....."I do wish you'd try!"

Who seems not to notice ...the things that you do.

And forever is losing .............. A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,

With bathing and feeding ...... The long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, nurse......you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am .......... As I sit here so still,

As I do at your bidding, ....as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of Ten.......with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters ..........who love one another

A young boy of Sixteen ...with wings on his feet

Dreaming that soon now. ..........a lover he'll meet.

A groom soon at Twenty .........my heart gives a leap.

Remembering, the vows........that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now .......... I have young of my own.

Who need me to guide . And a secure happy home.

A man of Thirty ......... My young now grown fast,

Bound to each other ........ With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons ...have grown and are gone,

But my woman's beside me........to see I don't mourn.

At Fifty, once more, .......... Babies play 'round my knee,

Again, we know children ......... My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me ......... My wife is now dead.

I look at the future ............I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing ...young of their own.

And I think of the years...... And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man.........and nature is cruel.

Tis jest to make old age .......look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.

There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass ..... A young guy still dwells,

And now and again ........my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys.............. I remember the pain.

And I'm loving and living.............life over again.

I think of the years ....all too few......gone too fast.

And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people ..........open and see..

Not a crabby old man. Look closer....see........ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.....we will all, one day, be there, too!

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Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

I will be posting that on the bulletin board tonight at work. Our active psych unit has become a psycho geriatric unit at least for the time being.

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I would love to find the slideshow to that. Any idea if it's online somewhere? I am in my "long term" rotation at school, we have only 2 more weeks before we graduate. I would LOVE to share this poem and possibly the slideshow with my classmates; especially since we are studying gerontology. Any help finding it would be greatly appreciated!!

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

THis poem was doing the rounds when I did my training in Wales (UK) in 1988, only we were told it was a hospial in Glasgow and it was a crabby old woman.

Where ever it's origin the senitment should not be forgotten

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Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

I posted that lovely poem on our unit last night.

In keeping current I also gave this to our team. Since our hospital currently has an infestation. One older building I worked in years ago, we stepped on the creatures to kill them.

Robert Burns (1759-1796). Poems and Songs.

The Harvard Classics. 1909-14.

To a Mouse

WEE, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,

O, what a panic's in thy breastie!

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

Wi' bickering brattle!

I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,

Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry man's dominion,

Has broken nature's social union,

An' justifies that ill opinion,

Which makes thee startle

At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,

An' fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;

What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

A daimen icker in a thrave 15

'S a sma' request;

I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,

An' never miss't!

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!

It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!

An' naething, now, to big a new ane,

O' foggage green!

An' bleak December's winds ensuin,

Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,

An' weary winter comin fast,

An' cozie here, beneath the blast,

Thou thought to dwell--

Till crash! the cruel coulter past

Out thro' thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,

Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!

Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,

But house or hald,

To thole the winter's sleety dribble,

An' cranreuch cauld!

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,

In proving foresight may be vain;

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men

Gang aft agley,

An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,

For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me

The present only toucheth thee:

But, Och! I backward cast my e'e.

On prospects drear!

An' forward, tho' I canna see,

I guess an' fear!

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Specializes in ICU, L&D, Home Health.

I've seen this circulating around, but as the "Crabby Old Woman" version...here's a link:

http://www.orderofthewhitelion.com/Poetryetc@/Poetry/Remember.html

I remember we had to watch a video with the "Crabby Old Woman" poem for hospital orientation...nice poem though...

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No matter which is the original version, it reminds us to see each person for him/herself, not just a body we have to take care of.

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