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\\ g} ACROSS FROM THE KELLY BUILDING

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‘o coffee house for everyone’ QEUIMMHRQE

The below appeared when an old lady _ died in the Geriatric Ward of a hospital , near Dundee, Scotland. It was felt that she had left nothing of any value then the nurses going through her pos- sessions found this poem. The quality of it so impressed the staff, copies were duplicated and distributedto every nurse in the hospital. A CRABBIT OID WOMAN WKD'IE 'IHIS What do you see nurse, what do you see? At fortYr my Young SONS have gram and What are you thinking when you arelooking are gone: - - at me— But my man's beside me to see I don't A crabbit old woman, not very wise. mum: . Uncertain of habit, with far away eyes, - At fifty, once “Dre babies Play round my Who dribbles her food and makes no reply knee: ' When you say in a loud voice—"I wish you'd I Again we know Children my lOVEd one and ITE- try", Dark days are upon me, iny husband is dead, Who seems not to notice the things the ' I look at the future, I shudder with dread. you do, v . For my young are all rearing young of d f . l . tock. hoe - their own, ‘ 2;: (freve? is 05mg i 51 t 139 0:1 sa And I think of the years and the love {Alicii unresrs ing or no , e 5 you 0 5 you that I.ve blown" I . ' . . I'm now an old wcman and nature is cruel- bathlng and feedl‘ng’ the long day to 'Tis just_to make old age look like a fool. IS that what you are thinking; is that The body it crumbles, grace and Vigour de— ., . Part: , What You see‘ There is now a stone where I once had a -I'll tell you who I am— I'm a small child heart. ‘ « i of three. But inside this old carcass, a yomg girl A young girl of sixteen, with wings on still dwells, her feet, I V , ' And now and again myba-ttered heart swells. Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet}? And‘fI-‘rexrember the joys; I renember the A bride soon at twenty—my heart gives a 'pain, ' ' . ‘ leap, - - ' And I'm loving and living life over,again‘. Remembering the vows that I promised to. I think of the years, all too few gone keep; - too fast, _ , l .r _ At twenty-five now I have young of my own, And accept the stark fact that nothing 1 Who needs me to build a secure, happy home; can last. ‘ ' A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast, , So open your eyes nurses, open and see. Bound to each other with ties that should Not a crabbit old woman, look closer— last. 1 see me! \