‘Crabby Old Man’ Poem ~ Makes You Think By Paula Dirkes | June 4,2010 ® Greetings, Several years ago when I worked at a local metropolitan hospital, I had the responsibilty of conducting an experiential tning program called ‘into Aging Simulation’ for hospital employees and voluniers. Each participant was assigned the role of en elderly person who had ' particular ‘Life Serpe that would play out over the course ofthe 90 minute program ~_whether they wonted io or not. was a prety ‘amazing program because it really caused people to notice how elderly patients and visitors were rated (for better and for worse) and we hnad some rather animated discussions during the debrief athe end. When trined IAS faittatrso hep me put on tis rogram gave them copy of poem tat geve them some insight about what i's tobe x elder pen. om te perspec of ile pein, The poem below is very smith on ed tse Shoe my “seoond Da? Jack jus died last week in @ nursing home, and since my siblings andl are discussing our own Moses eae right now, the poem ig even more meaninefil When an old man died inthe geriatric ward ofa nursing home x North Plat, Nebraska, i was believed that he had nothing left af any value Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content #0 impressed the staf ‘that copies were made and distributed t every nurse inthe hospital. One murs tok her copy to Missouri. ‘Tha old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared inthe Christmas edition of the News Magazine ofthe St. Louis Association for Mental Health A slide presentation has also been made based on hs simple, but eloquent poem. And this litle old man, with nothing lef to give othe world, now the author of this ‘anonymous poem winging across the Inert, (Crabby Old Man ‘What do you see nurses? ...... What do you see? ‘What te you thinking ...... when you're looking st me? Acrabby old man... not very wise, ‘Uncertain of abit... wih faraway ees? Who dribble his fod, and makes no reply ‘When you sayin oud voice... "do wish you'd!” ‘Who sooms not to notice... the things that you do And forever losing... A soek o shoe? Who, resising or not... ts you doa you wil, With bathing and feeding... The og day tf? Is that what you're thinking? ,..... Is that what you ste? ‘Then open your eyes, nue... ., you're nat looking at me, Pltetlyouwho Tam....... As Tsitere so stl, ‘As T do at your bidding, ..... a5 T eat t your vl Pma smal child of Ten......... with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters... who love one another. ‘A young boy of Sixteen... with wings on his fet, Dreaming that soon now .......alover he'll meet. http://eldercareexplained.com/crabby-old-man-poem-makes-you-think/ 9/18/2012‘A groom soon at Twenty... my heat gives leap. Remembering the wows. .... that | promised to keep. At Twenty-Five, now... have young of my own, Who need me to guide...... And. secure happy home. ‘A man of Thirty... My young now grow fast, Bound teach other... With ties that should lest. ‘AtFory, my young sons... have grown and aze gone, But my woman's beside me... se T don't mourn. At ify, once mor, babies play ‘round my kes, ‘Again, we know children... . My loved one and me, Dark days are upon me... my wife fs now dea. Took atthe future... shudder with dread Formy young are all rearing... oung oftheir own. ‘And I think ofthe years... andthe fove that ve known Pm now an old man... nd name is enue, Tis jest to make old age... look lke a fool. ‘The body, it crumbles. .... grace and vigor, depart ‘There is now a stone... where I once had a heart ‘But inside this ld carcass... young guy still dwells, ‘And now and again... .. my battered heact swells ‘remember the joys... remember the pain, ‘And’ loving an living... life over agai, | think of the years, all 00 few... gone to fast ‘Aad accep the stark fat... that nothing ean lat ‘So pen your eyes, people... open end see [Not acrabty old man ... Look closer... see ME! Take care of yourself, Paula ‘Topi 5: Holi Elder Care Resources | 4 Comments » 4 Responses to “‘Crabby Old Man’ Poem ~ Makes You Think” 1. isa Says: Septenher 22n, 2010.82.29 ‘After reading your whole article I eally started to think about what we hat we are taking. Thanks for pret read! 2, Paula Dirkes Says: Seplomber 2m 310418 pn httpi//eldercareexplained, com/crabby-old-man-poem-makes-you-think/ are doing sbout our lives what we are giving to other and 9/18/2012