poem: the elderly couple at the mall
the beaming elderly couple
urgently shuffle directly towards us
as we make our way through
the crowded mall
holding my wife’s hand,
she with her cane,
people jostling us
this way and that
me thinking:
do we know this couple,
what huge smiles they have,
hope they stay on their feet
the elderly man holding his wife’s tiny hand
looks at me with prophetic eyes
and declares “Never stop holding her hand”
to which I empathically reply, “Never!”
now, his words disconnected,
saying “Youngsters,” referring to us
and “Sixty-nine years” referring
to how long they have been married
and I reply “Fifty”
as we have just celebrated
our Golden Anniversary
a few days before
now two old couples beaming,
holding hands, knowing long life love filled,
shuffle off our separate ways
disappearing into the day’s babel
love is patient, love is kind,
it is not envious, boastful, arrogant, or rude,
it rejoices in the truth; bears, believes, hopes,
and endures all things; love never ends
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
November 19, 2021
photo by jem vistaprint
“still in love”
Author’s note: The last stanza paraphrases
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, The Gift of Love.