Crabbit Old Lady (Anonymous)

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What do you see, nurses,  what do you see,
What are you thinking when you look at me?
A crabbit old woman,  not very wise,
Uncertain of habbit,  with far away eyes
Who dribbles her food and makes not reply
When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try"
Who seems not to notice the things that you do,
And forever is losing   a stocking or shoe,
Who unresisting or not, let's you do as you will
With bathing and feeding   the long day to fill.

Is that what you're thinking, is that what you see?
Then open your eyes,  you're not looking at me!
I'll tell you who I am   as I sit here so still
As I move at your bidding   as I eat at your will
I'm a small child of ten  with a father and mother
Brothers and sisters   who love one another
A young girl at sixteen   with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon   a lover she'll meet
A bride soon at twenty - my heart gives a leap
Remembering the vows   that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now  I have young of my own,
Who need me to build  a secure happy home;
A woman of thirty  my young now grow fast,
Bound to each other  with ties that should last;
At forty my young  will soon now be gone
But my man stays beside me  to see I don't mourn
At fifty once more  babies play round my knee
Again we know children,  my loved one and me,
Dark days are upon me,  my husband is dead;
I look to the future,  I shudder with dread,

For my young are all busy  rearing young of their own,
And I think of the years  and the love I have known,
I'm an old woman now  and nature is cruel
'Tis her jest to make old age   look like a fool;
The body it crumbles,  grace and vigour depart,
And now there's a stone   where once I had a heart

But inside this old carcase  a young girl still dwells,
And now and again  my battered old heart swells
I remember the joys,  I remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living   life all over again
I think of the years   all too few - gone so fast -
And accept the stark fact  that nothing can last
So open your eyes, nurses, open and see:
Not a crabbit old woman - look closer: see me!

               (Anonymous)