This society has forgotten to honor the most deserving of all: our elderly people. We have put the one group on a pedestal that does not know how to handle this kind of adoration: the youngsters. Long ago and also still in some far away cultures the older people have the respect of the entire community and this is how it should be;)

Nice poem, Silvia!

Hugs,

5/5 Ingrid

And what a wonderful Lady she is , She never fails to make me smile and laugh with joy to find her beautiful comments posted on my poems . I do not know if love radiates from your eyes, for all to see , though I suspect it truely does......One thing I do know is the love I feel in all you write .
So Thank you Sweetheart for just being you
I know you will only get better with age !!!
Your friend and Admirer...Jim The man Within

Sylvia, this was such a touching write. The end caught me off guard a bit, i wasnt expecting that.
I always imagine how it would be to feel your body setting limitations for itself as you grow older. I imagine it wouldnt be a pleasant thing.
This was a beautiful poem.. it was just really well put together and i enjoyed it a great deal.
Im going to have to nominate it :]
5/5

Sylvia,
What an eye opener. This was a wonderful poem and the matter of subject is a taboo subject on it's own. But when we realize we are growing older there is such a thing as doing so with grace. You my dear have pulled that off in this poem. Awesome job.

I too, was suprised by the ending. It is hard to accept the toll time takes on the body when one is still so young at heart. Nicely written.

Sylvia self realisation can be a mean thing sometimes, i think most of the more mature readers would have experienced the very thing you speak about in your poem.
This was well written and as fresh as a splash of cold water in the face
Well done

Grant

Its amazing how you describe exactly how the old lady is feeling, and how she cant walk straight ... and how she thank god for each day... love the way you put your words...

the best part was the ending...
keep up the good work!!!!!

Sylvia
what a very thougth provoking piece you have written.

Her mind and memory haven't suffered,
still as sharp and clear as ever.
It is difficult for her to accept physical limitations,
because she finally has to acknowledge,
she can no longer do the things she once did.

When the mind stays the same and the body changes it is hard to come to terms with not being able to do the things you use to do with ease. Waking everyday with pain where there was none the day before. You sit and wonder where did all the time go?

She is a survivor and I know her well.
You see, I only have to look in the
mirror to know, the old lady is me.

I try to avoid the mirror....you seem not to think of the new gray hairs apppearing or a new wrinkle by your eyes if you don't look :)

Great Job!
Take Care
Cindy

I adored this piece, it used simple language to get across a profound message. It was easy to follow yet you didn't spoonfeed the reader. There were some heavy lines that really hit me, such as:

'It is difficult for her to accept physical limitations,
because she finally has to acknowledge,
she can no longer do the things she once did.'

Which read like an afterthought, it was very phonetic, and in that, you communicated what you were feeling to the reader.

I didn't think you needed 'the old lady is me', because I think it undermines everything that comes before it. I mean, most would be able to guess that the narrator knows a bit too much about this woman, so we sort of know that the narrator is talking about themselves.

Just a thought, rather than it being so deliberate at the end. :)
Great piece.

Outstanding write sylvia, 5/5 very touching, although i'm still a young man, the physical limitations that have been place on me have been heart breaking. all the best wishes

Well done Sylvia. You're a sharp lady. That's always a blessing. My father had Alzheimers, so I know what it's like to see someone crumble away. I wish I had the book "Red Bird" with me, but there's a poem by Mary Oliver where she laments being 70, but realizes she's still full of life, or rather "full of beans" :-)

How honestly this has been written, awesome write indeed.
Simple and yet so beautifully done.
Loved it all the way.

all the best and take care

Wow very nicel. as i read it I had an idea this old lady might be you. very well done and some nice words chosen to light the page. I hope you are well and that you keep writing for a long time... bravo

Silvia,

Congrats on the win, dear lady:)

*hugs*

5/5 Ingrid

Congrats Sylvia....I knew this was a winner...LOL.
(((Hugs)))
Cindy

Beautiful. You capture elegantly the spirit of this old lady.

Life just seems to go on & we think we have it
all until age catches up with us..This is sad yet it is reality. I like the touch of life in this
write..keep on going!

This really is a masterpiece. How often do we come up with imaginative characters, only to know that they are none other than ourselves. Walah.

Your first two stanzas were wonderfully written, very sad however.. but then I read this line...

"There are aches and pains that come with age,
yet she never gives up."
`What a great line, "yet she never gives up" that shows what a strong person this woman is and no matter what she wont give up, regardless of how difficult things are.

"Her mind and memory haven't suffered,
still as sharp and clear as ever."
`I liked how you are pointing out things that arent as bad.. there can be bad things but good things as well in life. :]

"It is difficult for her to accept physical limitations,
because she finally has to acknowledge,
she can no longer do the things she once did."
`Written with sadness, yet.. life is life.. and we just have to keep going no matter how difficult things are..

"She is a survivor and I know her well.
You see, I only have to look in the
mirror to know, the old lady is me."
`When I reached this ending, it gave me the chills.. but youve done so well with this piece and writing about someone you know well, who is yourself.. but I must say you have proved to be such a smart, strong woman who faces challenges in her life.. but she just keeps going.. and doesnt give up.. thats a good quality to have, never giving up and just accepting reality.

:]

Well done Sylvia.. sad write but you are such a strong woman.

5/5.

This is just great. I agree with the member below... The elderly don't receive the respect that they've well and truly earnt. My best friend is 88 years old and has taught me more about life than anyone else.
rated 5/5... you've got talent.