Old Man

I saw the drunken shrunken old man

slumped at the bar

Do you wanna a drink? He asked me

with a whisky soaked stammer

I said a beer,

 noticed then his alcohol ravaged face

but it’s his eyes I won’t forget

They rained sorrow

For him, there would be no happy tomorrow

I knew there was no free lunch

And I’d have to listen to his litany of despair

Of the love he’d had for the girl with the golden hair

and how he’d left her up in the air

Of how he’d chance of adventure abroad

but never the time could he afford

Of how he had lost touch with his brother

and didn’t see his mother

before she’d died

      And oh how his life was so full of strife

Then he tried to give me some advice

Follow your heart not your head young man

I beg you

confront your issues and find some peace

and never forget

there is plenty of time for regret

I went to leave I’d had my fill

It hit me then, a sharp tingle down my spine

Those blue eyes looked like mine

My name in his tattered hat confirmed my worst fears

The terror came, overwhelming

His was a possible future for me