Who's that Old Person?

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor
the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: ‘I have no pleasure in them.’”    ( Ecclesiastes 12:1)

I wrote the following poem several years ago before old age started keeping permanent
company with me. I hope you find it useful to share with young people.

WHO’S THAT OLD PERSON?

Hey, young person, listen to me,
     Things aren’t now like they’re gonna be.
Down the road in a few more years,
     will walk an old person with aches and fears.

He’ll look like you to some degree,
     But will have store teeth and perhaps a bought knee.
He’ll walk like you, only bent and slow,
     And talk like you too, except kinda low.

There’s an old person who’s coming along,
     to take your place with a different song.
A song about days that used to be,
     About running around and being free.

He’ll look back at youthful days,
     And see through eyes with darkened rays.
He’ll wonder how things might have been,
     If today’s wisdom he’d had back then.

As he wipes a tear with a trembling hand,
     He feels a tug to a better land,
Where memories are sweet and no one gets old,
     And everyone is well, healthy and bold.

So, listen, young person to this old sage;
     Life’s book is filling, page after page.
Take Christ as your Savior and to Him be true,
      That old person coming is nobody but you.

-- Jim Doyel