"An
Old Man Remembers: Eulogy for the Girl In Dreams"
Poetry by Michael F. Nyiri
May 7th, 2:00 a.m. pdt
He used to think he was
charming,
Opening doors and gallantly greeting
He gathered girlfriends like a bouquet
And he always knew the right things to say
The early days were the worldy days
Everything's fleeting and nobody stays
Conversations with wisps of beauty
Yet no proper romance his duty
Young manhood was spent
with delight
But the women fast faded from sight
The gals with the smiles were forgotten
And the dream girls appeared on the horizon
Yet they never stayed long or they left
Leaving him incredibly sad and bereft
He cried through the night, but twas gone
The feelings of love were past done
In time the dates and dalliances
died
Gallantry, suddenly shied
away from the reality shore
Gracious through love comes no more
Atuned to the reasons for care
But the girl in dreams never came there
Age arrived early too soon
No thoughts of a bright honeymoon
Middle age, he was wont
to tarry
Wondering if he ever would marry
The girlfriends retreated to shadows
He didn't want to hear all this bad news
Wrote poetry daily to ghosts
But nobody answered the posts
Sexual playgrounds were fun
But fulfillment and family shunned
He was cleft in the heart
so to speak
It would rip and would bleed as to seek
Not to find was the greatest mistake
As the heart rended more and would break
Friends and fast searches brought naught
And the heart remained eternally blotted
Now as he looks back on
his life
He seems sorry he never claimed a wife
And he grows older and older each year
And feels love might have something to fear
The girls don't grow older without traces
Of worry cracks lining their faces
Did he miss opportunity's door
In those years when love evened the score?
Will he settle in love yet
at all
Will love's angel dare answer his call?
As his smile withers slightly with care
Will he ever find happiness here
He admits that he snubbed love in youth
But now that means nothing, forsooth
He's been punished and lives quite alone
Indiscretions and bitterness to atone
Is there a girl left in
dreams?
Or is lonliness all now what seems
to envelop his daily routine
With only memory there at the scene
Remember the ships in the night?
Nobody was wrong or was right
He cries in his sleep in the dark
But each morning he sighs in the light.
Poetry
2006
