A Poem by Walt Page: The Tennessee Poet
As I stood before the mirror
Reality became clear
“Who are you old man?”
I said to no one there
Of course there was no answer
But there didn’t have to be
Recent years had not been kind
And that was plain to see
The thinning hair and wrinkled face
Not what he used to be
But what the mirror doesn’t show
Is the flame that burns inside
The passions and desires
That become his poetry
His need to write remains as strong
As it always used to be
It takes a little longer
For his hand to write the words
When he’s done
He reads his words out loud
A smile forms upon his face
And satisfied
He lays down his pen
And for a moment
He is young again
About the Poet
Walt Page, The Tennessee Poet, is a romantic old rock drummer, musician, USAF veteran and an open heart surgery survivor. He has been published on Vita Brevis, Visual Verse and Slasher Monster Magazine. Walt lives in the Tennessee country with his wife Susan, 2 horses and 9 rescue dogs.
See my interview with Walt here!
Painting: Self-Portrait in the Mirror – Konstantin Somov
Touching poem Walt. The flame inside lives on manyfold.
Thank you Hélène. I appreciate your kind comment. ☺
Mirrors don’t tell the whole story, do they? We often remain young inside–and vital.
Thanks Merril! I just saw this ☺
So touching and painful, yet strong and loud and daring. Beautiful poem, Walt!
Geez, I just saw this! Thanks so much Susan! ☺
Ah, facing the realities of the internal and the external. Maybe we shouldn’t say young or old rather alive or dead? Well-written, Walt!
I just saw this Susi 😞 I am alive! Thank you my friend 😊