Poem: Old Man

Old Man

Old man, old man, remember back when

ball games were in back streets

and that kiss by the school gate,

the slow walks with Sandra so long, long ago

whose face has now faded through eons and loss,

but old man, remember, remember the sun,

the long days of being, laughter and fun.

And that night when the rain came, and the bus did not run,

when you sheltered with Sandra, kept her so warm,

she gave you her heart, you gave her your soul,

and though memories seem but symbols, juggles of mind,

they stay, do not wither, as grapes on a vine.

So old man, old man, stay true to your calling,

though your road may be stony and possibly now alone,

Sandra would remember that boy in the rain,

and your old briar pipe companion, will glow for the end.

Henning Herringe was born in Denmark’s Copenhagen, lived for a while as a young boy in its historical fishing village of Jyllinge on the Roskilde Fjord, and emigrated to Adelaide in 1957 with his parents. Attending Hindmarsh Primary School and the then Strathmont Boys Technical High School, he established his own model-making and design business in the Adelaide Hills. Now retired, he cares passionately for trees and the climate, plays guitar, and writes songs and poetry.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.