Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sunday 160 - Last to go?


Pushed to live out their lives
under the care of others,
they sat listening to a eulogy
for an old friend.
Gray and hunched,
each pondered,
would I be the last?
_________________________

For the original Sunday 160 post click here.
If you wish to take the challenge, here is a quick look at the rules.
The Sunday 160 only uses 160 characters (including spaces).
Keep on schedule - post Sunday.
Let me know you have posted via a comment on my site.
Visit at least one other Sunday 160.
_______________________

42 comments:

joanna said...

MM

I almost thought you went away this week end,

This was a sad 160 -- I don't think I would want to be the last to go. I would miss everyone far too much.

Well written but sad.

Joanny

mine is up.

Claudia said...

a very thoughtful 160 this week - i think it's hard to grow old and see your friends go…but maybe also a place to say thanks when you still have some years left to spend

mine is here

G-Man said...

I always remember that MASH episode where Colonel Potter was the last of his WWI outfit to remain alive. That and this was very sad.
Great Job MM..
I'm up...G

moondustwriter said...

At that point I think they dread being the last.

Shot Gun

Nessa said...

This is so sad. We have a family friend who is 92. He's not alone but he has no contemporaries around him.

Do It, Write!

Brian Miller said...

nicely done monkey...i wonder if we all think this at some point...no one wanting to be the last one....nice 160...


mine is up!

Tabor said...

I like how your posters above comment on 'they' and 'them' as if they will never be part of this group...but they will someday.

Marshy said...

a sad 160, but very well done...i hope i have lightened things up this week with mine??

http://petemarshall.blogspot.com/2010/08/gift-from-grandpaa-tale-in-160.html

cheers pete

Cheryl said...

My grandmother was the last of her family to go. This was how she felt every day. You captured this beautifully.

Mine's here.

One Prayer Girl said...

This reminds me a lot of a few of the very old people I met when I worked in nursing homes. I remember a very elderly 90 year old or maybe even 100+ and all their family and friends were gone.

We tried to support and love that person in a very special way.

It helps to have God in your life.
Very poignant 160 today.

PG

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

This is remarkable,
it reminds me of those old people in nursery homes...

Anonymous said...

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/sunday-160-this-is-how-ive-spent-my-saturday/

mu 160..
many thanks for reading!

PattiKen said...

This is such a poignant 160, MM. I've know people who have outlived everyone important in their lives: friends, spouse, and even children. Can you imagine any place more lonely?

My 160 is up here.

Harris Channing said...

VERY thoughtful and sad, mostly because it's true! Man, I don't want to be the first or the last!

http://harrischanningauthor.blogspot.com/2010/08/sunday-160_29.html

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

http://itistimetothinkformyself.blogspot.com/2010/08/mondays-child-in-sunday-160.html

I have a 2nd Sunday 160 in my blogger account, have fun!

Monkey Man said...

I went to a memorial service for the mother of a dear friend yesterday and wrote this after observing a table of elders. It is life on life's terms.

Anonymous said...

Long life sounds wonderful, until you outlive everyone.

Mine is here

M. Reka said...

It is a beautiful poem!
Short Poems

Me said...

Definitely a lonely place to be, I hope I don't have to ever know what that's like...maybe it's selfish, but it's the truth!
-C

Me said...

Okay, I didn't think I'd make it this week...but mine is HERE

Caty said...

well written 160. makes me think of some of the elderly I do work with at an assisted living facility...kinda sad

Larry said...

I know I'm late but it's still Sunday LOL I'm posted now just follow the link provided below.


Dog Day Summer
Thanks for reading
Larry

Anonymous said...

This is an excellent 160, my friend...well done!

My contribution is here
http://wp.me/psPty-pa

Thanks for letting me play :)

Sheila said...

profound! My 160 is Here

Anonymous said...

Poignant. I can see myself being just like this as I get older. Heck, I'm beginning to think like that now. :P

Julie Jordan Scott said...

My lap top is acting funky as I wrote this 160 while sitting at LAX. My normal commands aren't there so I can't link back to the main SUNDAY 160 page. Will fix when I can and in the meantime...

This week's Sunday One Sixty - Special Services Line, LAX

Julie Jordan Scott said...

PS - Bittersweet, your 160, Monkey Man. My heart burns with reading it.

Anonymous said...

Aaahh.. if and when we get there, what would we be thinking?
A tight 160, MM... nice!

Here is mine for this Sunday..

Anonymous said...

http://beeblu.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/response-to-jingles-sunday-160-challenge/

a friend of mine played 160, hopefully, some of you visit his blog to give some encouragement...

have fun!

Victoria Ceretto-Slotto said...

My first time to give this a try. Hope the link works.

www.http://liv2write2day.wordpress.com/

Claudya Martinez said...

Makes my heart ache.

Anonymous said...

heartbreaking really, to see one's friends go like that, one couldn't help but wonder...

mine's here

Marla said...

I spent the weekend with a wonderful elderly woman. I was there from Friday night until this evening "caring" for her. The truth is, she really cared for me, for my soul really. What you wrote about is exactly what we talked about. Her children are missing out on so much. I am the lucky one.

Well done, MM~

Victoria Ceretto-Slotto said...

I just re-read yours...very poignant. I was a nurse and worked primarily with hospice and the elderly. This touched me.

Bubba said...

In some cultures (even today) elders are revered for their wisdom and life-experience.

Tina said...

So sad, and oh so true. Powerful 160, Monkey Man.

Maude Lynn said...

Wow, MM! This is outstanding!

the walking man said...

Really even when aged beyond the age one thought they would ever live to is death and dying worth pondering?

Gillena Cox said...

This is sad and at the same time elegant; it made me ponder giant aged trees in our world here unbelieable years before our time

much love
gillena

Enchanted Oak said...

I like that you thought about the feelings of the elders. So often we look at the aged and think about ourselves--"I don't want to get that old" or "If that happened to me I would just want to die" or variations on that theme. But when we see them as human beings, they are as complex and compelling as the best of us.

anthonynorth said...

So sad, but excellently expressed.

Uma Anandane said...

Touching and nice 160