The Old Folks' Home

The Old Folks Home, that's what they call it, a dreaded place,
By older men and women of every kindred, every race.
As the first sins of old ae !eins to appear,
One thinks of the "ncertain f"t"re with a fallen tear..
Here we find a widow livin all alone,
#$cept for the cat that helps !rihten the home.
Her children check on her as oft as they can,
B"t it's not the same as when she had her man.
#ach day with effort, she ets o"t of !ed,
To face the new day with somewhat of a dread.
%he reaches for her cane as to the kitchen she starts,
To !rew her some coffee and toast her some tarts,
B"t with eyes rowin dim, she co"ldn't help !"t inore,
The telephone cord that was stretched across the floor.
%he tripped on it and fell with a mihty crash
&hich ca"sed over her eye a painf"l and "ly ash.
&ith !lood "shin, she tried to et "p aain,
B"t she felt in her hip an e$cr"ciatin pain.
%he !lacked o"t temporarily and lay there alone
'ntil a little later when she crawled to the phone.
The ne$t thin she knew, to the hospital she went,
And from there to the Old Folks' Home she was sent.
&ith a !roken hip, she had to o where it wo"ld mend,
B"t it seemed to the widow that her world had come to an end.
Her tho"hts wandered !ack to her comforta!le home,
And her dear little cat that was left all alone.
%he tho"ht of her kitchen, lots of memories there,
All the meals she had served to her little family so dear.
And there was the !edroom with her comforta!le !ed,
%he m"st et "sed to another. (t filled her with dread.
Her livin room was f"rnished !y her h"s!and so dear,
)ow her f"rnit"re wo"ld !e sold !y an "ncarin a"ctioneer.
There were other memories that !ro"ht pain to her heart,
As the little white ch"rch from which she'd have to part.
(t was there at the altar that she had s"rrendered to *od,
And vowed that forever in His footsteps she wo"ld trod.
+o"ld it !e that in His footsteps she co"ld !e followin here,
To an Old Folks' Home co"ld *od !e leadin, +o"ld He !e here,
All at once, she heard sinin comin from the -anor's meetin place.
&hat was that they were sinin, +o"ld it !e Ama.in *race,
As she listened, her whole !ein !ean to rela$ once more,
-ay!e, *od was leadin for there stood an anel of mercy in the door.
An anel in white with a lovin smile "pon her face,
&e welcome yo" she said ently, &e'll love yo" in this place.
&e'll attend to yo"r needs so caref"lly and see that yo" don't lack,
A thin to make yo" comforta!le. Here, let me t"rn yo" on yo"r !ack
The widow smiled lovinly, for !eyond the n"rse she saw once more,
Her da"hter with mi$ed emotions, standin in the door.
Her da"hter's eyes were teary watchin the reaction of her mother,
(t had not !een for her to place her in the care of another.
%h/h/h, a h"sh fell on the little trio as once aain they heard
A so"nd comin from the -anor's meetin place, The preachin of *od's word.
(t ran o"t clear eno"h that these words co"ld !e heard,
All thins work toether for the ood to them that love *od.
+losin her eyes, the widow aain committed her life to *od,
%he knew she only had !"t a short time left on earth to trod.
Her da"hter saw her resination as the lines of her face rela$ed,
And fresh tears welled in her eyes as she tried to speak with tact,
&e love yo", she whispered, and want yo" to have ood care.
That's the reason we !ro"ht yo" to the -anor, -other 0ear.
At home we don't have the facilities, and other thins that's needed,
B"t here yo"'ll have the !est of care, and !y ood personnel yo"'ll !e treated.
The widow reached o"t her arms to draw her da"her close.
)ow she knew she wasn't 1"st !ein 'p"t away' from those she loved the most,
%he was 1"st movin into a different home, a temporary one,
&here she wo"ld !e loved and cared for "ntil her life's work was done.
&hy, this wasn't 1"st an Old Folks' Home as she had always said.
This was a -anor, a cheery home. There was no loner any dread.
('ll ad1"st the !est ( can, said she, And try not to complain at all,
('ll en1oy all my new friends and not !e as lonely as !efore the fall.
( won't !e in the -anor very lon, even tho"h it co"ld !e years,
And after my stay here, ('ll move to my Heavenly home,, she smiled thro"h her tears.