Lives of quiet desperation are the worst
Lives of quiet desperation are the worst
Each day Annie Lesley opened a can Her eighty-six-year-old hands trembling As she sat with her cat and ate pet food What is wrong with this elder’s rendering?
Pride swallowed to remain independent Large, sunken eyes peered from her weathered face Her late spouse a decorated hero Annie’s lifestyle a national disgrace
More enlightened cultures all over the world Have revered their seniors throughout history Asians and Native Americans Are just two who honor their ancestry
Polynesians, other Pacific tribes Respect the wisdom that comes with age Seniors are welcome in family homes But here in the states they’re placed in a cage
Bone-thin Annie Lesley chose to be free Amazing neighbors with her endurance When social services tried to intervene She fought with remarkable resilience
Old photos on walls told many great tales But only purring Tibby was listening Each morning she rose to care for her cat Until the day that Tibby went missing
In tears she claimed he must have been poisoned Though in cat years he was older than she Each day she sat by the window, staring Awaiting the homecoming of Tibby
She’d been abandoned by society
Lost in the world’s most “progressive” nation
For sacrificing her spouse in World War II
Annie received little compensation
This widowed war bride never had children Her mate had met his fate in Normandy Posthumous awards she dusted each day Annie’s life was defined by loyalty
To a man and a cat who never came home And the vigil she kept all alone Ended quietly one warm summer night When an angel came to take Annie home
With a can of cat food in hand when found Annie had nothing else to eat in her house This is the way a veteran’s wife died And tear stains had blemished her faded blouse
Although seniors’ wisdom is heeded In societies that grow from history Too many like Annie lead lonely lives Wisdom untapped, they die in poverty
Each day Annie Lesley opened a can
Her eighty-six-year-old hands trembling
As she sat with her cat and ate pet food
What is wrong with this elder’s rendering?
Pride swallowed to remain independent
Large, sunken eyes peered from her weathered face
Her late spouse a decorated hero
Annie’s lifestyle a national disgrace
More enlightened cultures all over the world
Have revered their seniors throughout history
Asians and Native Americans
Are just two who honor their ancestry
Polynesians, other Pacific tribes
Respect the wisdom that comes with age
Seniors are welcome in family homes
But here in the states they’re placed in a cage
Bone-thin Annie Lesley chose to be free
Amazing neighbors with her endurance
When social services tried to intervene
She fought with remarkable resilience
Old photos on walls told many great tales
But only purring Tibby was listening
Each morning she rose to care for her cat
Until the day that Tibby went missing
In tears she claimed he must have been poisoned
Though in cat years he was older than she
Each day she sat by the window, staring
Awaiting the homecoming of Tibby
She’d been abandoned by society
Lost in the world’s most “progressive” nation
For sacrificing her spouse in World War II
Annie received little compensation
This widowed war bride never had children
Her mate had met his fate in Normandy
Posthumous awards she dusted each day
Annie’s life was defined by loyalty
To a man and a cat who never came home
And the vigil she kept all alone
Ended quietly one warm summer night
When an angel came to take Annie home
With a can of cat food in hand when found
Annie had nothing else to eat in her house
This is the way a veteran’s wife died
And tear stains had blemished her faded blouse
Although seniors’ wisdom is heeded
In societies that grow from history
Too many like Annie lead lonely lives
Wisdom untapped, they die in poverty
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