Old Man

Old man sits alone in his chair
He recently revived his thousand-yard stare
His wife just died from covid unvaccinated
Dogs going blind but still cuddles, doesn't whine
News of the world both distant and close
By the day, grows worse
Evoking his memories of Vietnam
And innocents slain
Images sent home by journalists
V oyeurs of the game
Threat of nuclear annihilation that clouded his childhood
With bomb drills in school--no real place to hide
That had lain dormant has resurfaced

Old man sits alone in his chair
Staring out his picture window
Across the way he sees the husk of his business
That he owned and toiled over for 40 years
Building an establishment inviting and fulfilling needs
Providing a service to the community and transients
What's left is barren and decomposing after the tornado
Blasted through two springs ago
Now only tumbleweeds stop at the pumps
Critters and dopers inhabit the skeletal remains
Business began faltering when the interstate
Offramp was eliminated, diverting traffic
From the once busy artery that leads to downtown
But when the towns manufacturing plant
(Its largest employer) moved production
To a country offshore and closed down
No hope of sustainability left for him or the town

Old man sits alone in his chair
Staring blankly into his yard
There was the garden that he and his spouse
Planted and tended for all their married years
Now dried and barren a small dust bowl
Because of the warming planet
Worsening drought
No water available to irrigate
This garden had provided and produced
Food for their sustenance in the lean years
Sharing its bounty with the food pantry
Dereliction in front of him
Nearly brings back the tears

Old man sits alone in his chair
No child from the partnership
Noone to care
With no source of income
All savings used up
He has descended into
His own private hell
He fondles the shotgun
He had placed on the table
Just within reach
Like the desolate scene before him
He'll leave only an empty shell