The Lonely Old Man

Back when Cecilia and I
Were newly married
Before our first daughter
Was born,
Occasionally we would invite
Someone to join us
If we saw them sitting alone
At the restaurant.
This one time
We saw an old man
Who fit that bill,
So we invited him over.
You would have thought
That we had just done
The most miraculous deed
In the world
By the way his face lit up.
He was very lonely
And thirsted for some
Human companionship,
Someone to listen to his words.
He talked of the life he lived
And all the people
He once knew.
We were reminded that
This country often
Isn’t very kind
To older folks like him,
But who is this country
Made up of
If it isn’t people
Like you and me?
Anyone of us
Can help
Alleviate the loneliness
Just by taking time to listen.