Old Man

He observes the ragged man with disbelieving eyes
From a naïvely youthful acquisitive perspective
Viewed through intrinsic multi-layered lies
Yet unable to perceive beyond the reflective
surface that fools the fool who airily denies,
Who chooses a guarded path far too selective
Where every step is one that secretly complies
With the masquerade designed to be subtly protective
Covering a face his mind glowers to deeply despise
Of a man grown too close to death to remain objective
In a scene he's seen through discriminating eyes
That guide his melting memories to wax introspective
As the face peering back from behind his creeping demise
Cries out in desperate silence, it is killing him to live
While inside dwells a paradox the mirror quietly implies
Growing old is a crime against the mind his heart cannot forgive
Imprisoning his guilt-ridden soul until the moment he mercifully dies