HOLLOW ANCIENT EYES

HOLLOW ANCIENT EYES

The parking lot was empty
On such a lovely day
Daffodils greeted me inside
And I hurried on my way.

As I stepped 'round a wheelchair
Too large for his size
I gazed into the bluest pair
Of hollow, ancient eyes.

He drawled "Good mornin', Hon"
As I smiled down at him
His weathered hand reached out for mine
And asked "What did you bring?"

I told him I had a gift
With a birthday note inside
He said "Oh, that's so sweet
But you really SHOULDN'T have."

As he reached for the box
It hurt me so inside
To say "It's not for you"
To those hollow, ancient eyes.

"Oh" he said and looked at me
And I didn't know what to do
So I just got another chair
Said "Could I sit with you?"

We talked of the weather
He said he liked it there
And just before I rose to leave
He gently touched my hair.

He asked who I was there to see
I said "Polly is her name"
And as I started walking
He said "My name's John Wayne."

We shook hands and smiled
Took off our disguise
I thought I saw a tiny tear
In his hollow, ancient eyes.

He wheeled beside me to her room
And watched me walk inside
The last thing I remember
Were his hollow, ancient eyes.

I shared all this with Polly
Who seldom leaves her room
We left to eat our lunch downstairs
As it was well past noon.

We saw him there all alone
So we sat and shared his space
And before I said goodbye to them
They were face to face.

Perhaps she's made a new friend
They are each others size
And maybe there's a little spark
In their hollow, ancient eyes.