Council of Elders
Powerful words to ponder by a talented writer. Please read and enjoy the words.
The Elders of the tribe
hold council for the young
offering the wisdom gleaned
through time. Wrinkled faces
bowed backs, they listen patiently
then, in brevity of words, offer
possibilities to consider, leaving
final decisions to wait until
all have been heard and a
vote taken; justice, fairness
compassion guide the process.
Now our Elders are abandoned
in hallways of loneliness
institutions where they sit
drugged into silence
to wait without honor
until death steals them away
and another forgotten
mother or father finds
their place of lost dreams.
Oh, you ungrateful children
your time will come when
you, too, are cast away
left on the roadside
like a forgotten shoe
unless
you change a culture
that no longer respects
their elders to one
that cherishes all ages
from womb to tomb
and into the Great Beyond.
I just swapped messages with another blogger about how “old” people are treated by the medical profession. So many of them are discounted and ignored simply because they are old. If you’re old, you’re considered useless. It’s such a travesty.
I’m with Chris, though. I want to leave alone. I can’t and won’t tolerate fake grief and sudden “caring” from people who wouldn’t give me the time of day when I was alive.
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Alone is okay if all is in order. If you leave open things that need final touch. Can leave sadness and disappointment behind.
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Oh, I would make sure everything was in order…to the point of not even letting anybody know. Sounds harsh, but as I say…if somebody won’t give you the time of day when you’re alive, what the hell makes you think they’re going to care when you’re dead? (Aside from the usual “cockroaches crawling out from under the woodwork” to collect any inheritance, of course.)
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I hold many memories dear. I believe we leave part of us in our kids. I keep my precious freind and family alive with words. I believe you would be missed. I’m off to sleep. Awork day tonight. Hvae fun and be safe.
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You as well. 🙂
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sadly this is now true all over the world…
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I agree. We must change our ways.
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This piece resembles my thoughts very clearly how we’ve been treating our elders, everybody in my family died, in their own bed, in their own home!
i will probably be the only one, where i wish to die is on the street, where i feel most comfortable and my dead useless body to be thrown into a dumpster..
However, i don’t see my sister agreeing on this wish!
Let us not forget, whom has brought us this far in the world today!
cheers young man, chris
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Never good to die alone. I lost four brothers who died alone. All of us need closure of a sort.
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Sad to hear that!
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