05/11/2024
IF YOU SHALL BECOME AN OLD MAN
(An Adaptation Of The Poem IF By RUDYARD KIPLING)
If you can move without stumbling, with dignity intact,
While others rely on walkers, their steps compact;
If you can wait for family visits, patient and kind,
Even when emergencies are just an excuse to find;
Or resist the allure of dating, not feeling quite refined,
Yet still cherishing beauty within your mind.
If you can dress with care, without vanity's hold,
And write poetry, sharing stories yet untold;
If you can face Dementia and Alzheimer's embrace,
Fight against their grip, with courage and grace;
If you can bear repeated tales, fellow elders' plight,
Understanding the importance of sharing their light.
Or see your dreams shattered, and still believe,
That new beginnings await, if you choose to perceive;
If you can rebuild relationships, taking the lead,
Showing forgiveness, as you plant love's seed;
And hold fast to love, when passion's flame has ceased,
Embracing companionship, a bond that's not released.
If you can remain part of the crowd, hand in hand,
Or reside in a home, where connection still stands;
If neither forgotten birthdays, nor fading memories,
Can wound your spirit, for love's legacy still carries;
If you can sing and dance, with joyous glee,
Embodying the vitality of what it means to be free.
Then rejoice, dear elder, for you are ever agile,
A testament to strength, resilience; and your smile.
