Poem — Call Me Old

Call me old—if you dare.
I’ve fought the endless nights,
shattered every chain,
and stood against my foes.

Still, the fire remains inside.
I stand strong—a survivor,
forged in battle, never bowed,
and untamed by fear.

M. Vaughn Duck
(Bottom Line … /a)
2 February 2026© copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

#CallMeOld, #UnbrokenSpirit, #WarriorPoet, #ForgedInFire, #SurvivorStrength

Other works by m. vaughn duck

LINK — other works

Call Me Old was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Train ride along the way to Paris — passing the time

Lyrics — Paris Awaits

Verse 1
I’m bound for Paris, racing the early dawn
Left before sunrise, night still holding on
Coach nearly empty, quiet as whispered prayers
Rails humming softly, pulling me to her

Verse 2
Dawn awakens, unveiling the morning sky
Shadows retreating as the new day climbs
Sea to my left and mountains rising tall
A quiet thrill stirs — answering my call

Chorus 1
Oh, the allure — Paris with all her charm
A city so magnetic, she opens every heart
Dreams full of wonder waking now in me
Calling me onward where secrets ache to be free

Verse 3
Gray clouds are gathering, sun rising slow
Mist lazily drifting in autumn’s muted glow
Rain blurs the window but my dream won’t fade
Paris will still sing her timeless serenade

Bridge
Through the storm I’m carried, steadfast and true
Each mile behind me, draws Paris near
The rails beneath me hum its steady song
A spell of mystery — her magic leads me on

Chorus 2
Oh, the allure — Paris with all her charm
A city so magnetic, she opens every heart
Dreams awakened, burning bright in me
Calling me closer — her secrets nearly free

Verse 4
Four hours vanished, just two more to ride
Gray skies above me, winds sweeping far and wide
No storm can dim this steady flame inside
My pulse beats faster — soon I shall at last arrive

Outro
Clouds break apart — Paris is gleaming
Bathed in gold beneath the midday sun
My eyes grow wide as horizons ignite
My spirit takes flight in the City of Light.

M. Vaughn Duck
(Train ride along the way to Paris — passing the time/n)
17 Novembre 2025 © copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

(Headed off to Paris this morning by Train, 6 hours and what to do …. well wrote some notes along the way)

Other works by m. vaughn duck

LINK — other works

Paris Awaits was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Whispers of Goodbye

Whispers of Goodbye

[Intro]

Whispers on a gentle breeze,
Shadows casting, their final fall…
Echoes of your heart, answering my call…
Feeling your tender touch in the fading light.

[Verse 1]

Still recalling all the years we’ve been sharing,
The love, the dreams, your laughter so caring.
Now my time is drawing near — I want you to know,
I love you — more than words can ever show.

[Chorus]

Oh, my love, don’t cry when I’m gone from your view,
The stars will still shine on, and I’ll be shining there too.
Every beat of my heart will live on in you,
I love you — don’t grieve, just hold my love true.
(Yeah, I love you…).

[Verse 2]

The dreams that we built, they’ll live on tomorrow,
Though I must go now, don’t drown in sorrow.
If I could, I would hold you and whisper tonight, dear,
Don’t fear the dark — my soul will stay near.

[Chorus]

Oh, my love, don’t cry when I’m gone from your view,
The stars will still shine on, and I’ll be shining there too.
Every beat of my heart will live on in you,
I love you — don’t grieve, just hold my love true.
(Yeah, I love you…).

[Verse 3]

All through the night, I’ll watch while you’re sleeping,
Feel my hand in the dreams you’ll be keeping.
When morning comes, knowing too I miss you dear,
I’ll be that breeze when you whisper my name near.

[Chorus]

Oh, my love, don’t cry when I’m gone from your view,
The stars will still shine on, and I’ll be shining there too.
Every beat of my heart will live on in you,
I love you — don’t grieve, just hold my love true.
(Yeah, I love you…).

[Outro]

Memory’s softly held in love’s embrace,
Our love glows gently into the dawn…
Whispers linger, always carrying on…
In the quiet of your heart, I found my place.
(Whispers of Goodbye… a peace that never fades.)

M. Vaughn Duck
(Wondering about our love in the beyond/a.j)
7 Octobre 2025 © copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

Whispers was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Final Trail, as Told in Song

The Long Quiet Night

Intro
Oh, the sun’s sinking low on this winding old trail,
These golden years aren’t gold — more a bittersweet tale.
Some friends have gone on, some still ride by our side,
We’ll keep moving onward through the dusk, where shadows hide.

Verse 1
My friend, as years pass by, we still ride side by side,
Through dust and old dreams, where lost hopes reside,
You said it ain’t easy, these years we’ve outgrown,
Not the dream we once chased, just weathered stone.

Chorus 1
Oh, the sun’s sinking slow on this trail we still roam,
These golden years wane, they’re not what we’d known,
The faces we cherished still shine in the light,
As we ride through the dusk, toward that long, quiet night.

Verse 2
Our old pals are fading, like stars before dawn,
Some have already left us, others still ride on,
Gus too fell ill last winter — his laughter we miss,
These golden years, my friend, weren’t meant to be this.

Chorus 2
Now the sun’s burning low on this trail growing thin,
These golden years falter, yet embers glow within,
The laughter we shared still carries us through,
And the bond that we’ve forged lights the way ever true.

Verse 3
Tomorrow’s uncertain, a page left unread,
Each sunrise hard-won, each new sunset deep red,
The trails we have ridden are carved in our bones,
And the memories we’ve gathered are keepsakes we hold.

Bridge
Here’s to the laughter, the sorrow, the pain,
To the miles we have wandered through sunshine and rain,
We can’t turn back time, but we’ve lived, oh, we’ve tried,
Yet love will outlast this dusty last ride.

Chorus 3
Now the sun’s setting soft on this final worn trail,
These golden years fading, like a long-told tale,
The friends we cherished still linger in the light,
As we ride side by side toward that long, quiet night.

Outro
So here’s to us, amigo, let’s steal one more day,
Holding tight to the memories that won’t fade away.
On this last dusty trail, we will ride it to the end,
Forever together — my compadre, my friend.

M. Vaughn Duck
Based on a recent note from my lifelong friend — Claude J.
@mvaughnduck @vaughnduck #vaughnduck
18 August 2025, © copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
Rev a.f
Contact:
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

FYI
I’ve been writting a few articles of late and they are posted on another Medium account — click below and check them out ….

Articles by M. Vaughn Duck

medium.com

The Quiet Last Ride was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Farewell (My Last Song)

Intro

Welcome to my world, step into my heart,
A tale etched in time, where dreams and memories start.
Through laughter and through tears, where wild winds softly blow,
This my farewell — a story only my soul knows.

Verse 1 — My Early Years

Born beneath a wide sapphire sky, a dreamer full of cheer,
Chasing fireflies at dusk, as stars would reappear,
A world so vast, my heart small, yet dreams were all I knew,
Climbing trees and scraping knees, as childhood swiftly flew.

Chorus

This is my life, my story, my truth,
With scars and dreams, embers of my youth.
Through highs and lows, I’ve carved my way along,
Now I hum my fading refrain: perhaps this — my last song.

Verse 2 — My Independence

Broke the chains of home, set out to find my way,
A rebel’s heart and restless feet, I chased the break of day,
City lights and sleepless nights taught me to stand alone,
I built my world with grit and grace, on paths I called my own.

Chorus

This is my life, my story, my truth,
With scars and dreams, the embers of my youth.
Through highs and lows, I’ve carved my way along,
Now I sing my final refrain: perhaps this — my last song.

Verse 3 — Understanding Who I Am

In the quiet of my soul, I met the man inside,
Wrestled shadows, forged my peace, no longer had to hide,
Drew my strength from shattered dreams, where wisdom’s spark was won,
Each dawn a deeper lesson, etched deep through storm and sun.

Bridge

Oh, the years fell like autumn leaves — to love, to lose, to mourn,
Held close the ones I cherished most, through tempests I’d outworn.
I danced with joy, forged my fate, and wrote my own folklore,
Now I stand with open heart, more myself than ever before.

Chorus

This is my life, my story, my truth,
With scars and dreams, the embers of my youth.
Through highs and lows, I’ve carved my way along,
Now I sing my final refrain: perhaps this — my last song.

Verse 4 — Looking Back

Looking back, I see it all — the moments that define,
Laughter shared, the tears I shed, the stars that softly shine,
Regrets may whisper low and sweet, but pride outweighs cost,
I lived my truth, walked my path — no battle truly lost.

Chorus

This is my life, my story, my truth,
With scars and dreams, the embers of my youth.
Through highs and lows, I’ve carved my way along,
Now I sing my final refrain: perhaps this — my last song.

Outro — Days Are Getting Short

Now the days grow short, and shadows gently grow,
The strings of my heart still play the melodies I know.
Step into my world once more, before my light is gone,
Perhaps this .. my last song — may its echo linger forever on.

M. Vaughn Duck
Had 2 of 16 first cousins slip away this year (2025) never 2 without 3.
@mvaughnduck @vaughnduck #vaughnduck
7 August 2025, © copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
Rev b.e
Contact:
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

FYI
I’ve been writing a few articles of late and they are posted on another Medium account — click below and check them out ….

Articles by M. Vaughn Duck

medium.com

#Forever #Nostalgia #poetry #Eternalyouth #poem

Farewell (My Last Song) was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Lyrics — Twenty Years …

Verse 1:
For twenty years, we’ve danced with time,
Shared dreams along a journey divine.
Sunrise brings its rays of light,
While nights aglow make love shine bright.

Pre-Chorus:
You’re the one,
Filling my heart with endless joy.
Our love, a story on display,
For all the world to see.

Chorus:
Your love’s a melody of laughter,
A symphony soaring, wild, and true.
Within your arms, time surrenders,
And through the years, our love endures.

Verse 2:
Your smile paints rainbows in the sky,
Tapestries of colors, shining bright.
And through the storms, we stand as one,
Doubts fade, with our hands entwined.

Verse 3:
Years etched stories deep in our hearts,
Each chapter a memory that won’t depart.
Through life’s maze, we found our way,
In your embrace, all fears decay.

Chorus
Your love’s a melody of laughter,
A symphony soaring, wild, and true.
Within your arms, time surrenders,
And through the years, our love endures.

Outro:
Tell me, my love…
Through the echoes in an endless sky,
Will our love soar higher….
Ever higher — ever brighter?

M. Vaughn Duck
(20 years together is a testament that Love endures and there are no obstacles that can’t be overcome together — xoxo (a.c)
FYI had been previously published.
9 January 2025 © copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

Twenty Years was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Intro
Been reading the reviews, now we have to choose
Where we’ll be stepping out tonight
To get our kicks with friends old and new
Celebrating that very first click
Cheering in the coming New Year

Verse
She’s been shining up her nails
Getting dolled up to the nines
Wearing too that crazy top hat -
Me, I’m all duded up too
Style’n in my new Armani treads …
Soon we’ll be turning some heads

It’s time to go strut’n uptown
To a place not everyone knows
Where the music never stops ….
And the dancing never ends,
Where champagne always flows
And the curtain never drops

Chorus
No need to wait for our return
But thanks for your concern -
Tonight we have a smashing pass
That sets us free
To fly higher with each glass.

Repeat Verses
Repeat Chorus

Outro
You should be coming along too
To see tonight has no end
When cheering in the New Year.

M. Vaughn Duck
(it’s the one night of the year where merriment reigns supreme/x)
8 Decembre 2019©, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
Flyingonward@hotmail.com

New Year’s Eve was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Lyrics — Don’t Let the Old Man In …

Verse 1
In twilight’s soft glow, you’re standing tall,
Your laughter echoes, a testament to all,
Sunrise whispers, stay unstoppable within — 
You’re invincible, don’t let the old man in.

Chorus
Don’t let the old man in,
Keep your heart alive, let your spirit win.
Through every season, through every sin,
Don’t let the old man in.

Verse 2
Dance to life’s rhythm, let your dreams take flight,
With passion as your guide, and wonder in your sight.
Free your spirit’s zeal, let your heart’s light spin — 
In every heartbeat, don’t let the old man in.

Chorus
Don’t let the old man in,
Keep your heart alive, let your spirit win.
Through every season, through every sin,
Don’t let the old man in.

Bridge
Time will come, and time will go,
Yet your heart will always know,
More than faded reflections in a mirror — 
It’s the fire that burns within.
So hold on tight and let it shine,
To keep your soul forever young,
The world is yours — forget about time—
Chase that old man forever on the run.

Chorus
Don’t let the old man in,
Keep your heart alive, let your spirit win.
Through every season, through every sin,
Don’t let the old man in.

Outro
When shadows fall and night begins,
Let your spirit rise again when light ends.
In the depth of your soul, it’s where dreams begin,
And the secret’s clear — don’t ever let that old man Win.

M. Vaughn Duck

(What is your plan to keep the old guy out — I’m fully aware of my mortality, but I still wake up every morning with a mischievous sparkle in my eye. For me, the secret is keeping the old man out, and keeping curiosity alive—never letting the fear of time stop you from enjoying life. Each new day is another opportunity to laugh and cherish the moment. So, every morning, when you look in the mirror, ask yourself: 'Is today the day I let that old guy win?)

5 January 2025 © copyright, all rights reserved.
Rev d.a
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

Don’t Let The Old Man IN was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Poem — Eve of Happiness …

There’s a day we hold close, tucked in our hearts — 
Maybe it’s Christmas, or New Year’s cheer,
Or a moment that sparks, held ever dear.
Each a memory cherished, that day held near.

For me, December twentieth is this day,
It’s closest to my heart, come what may.
Not for the gifts, nor for the holiday’s glow,
But for promise of added light that will unfold.

The twentieth brings stillness, the shortest of days,
Where shadows stretch far, as night gently sways.
When evening calls softly, a cold wind may stir,
Knowing that tomorrow, the sun surely will concur.

With dawn’s arrival, both steady and bright,
Bringing more light as the sun kisses the sky.
Sunshine’s triumphant, as darkness now fades,
Longer days ahead, the year has now made.

As brighter days approach, more joy will flow,
To journey down roads where soft winds blow.
With more daylight to savor life’s simple delights,
Cherishing moments in the sun’s golden glow.

M. Vaughn Duck
Smiling like crazy knowing the 21st the days grow longer (a.f)
19 Decembre 2024 © copyright, all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
m.vaughn.duck@outlook.com

Eve of Happiness was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A Christmas Reflection: The Symphony of Life

As the magic of Christmas approaches, we are reminded that Beethoven’s iconic Symphony №9 in D Minor mirrors the highs and lows of life — full of radiant highs and melancholic lows — much like the ever-evolving journey each of us experiences, where every note marks a new movement.

In the beginning, we may not notice the delicate notes of youth. Then, as the symphony unfolds, the music shifts from playful melodies to more intricate harmonies, revealing unexpected chords and pauses that catch us off guard — reminding us that life’s symphony does not always play out as we anticipate.

The early melody is filled with the joyous curiosities and endless adventures of childhood. As the years pass, the tempo slows, and we begin to hear the quieter undertones — reminders that time has its own way of shaping our song.

As the music continues, the instruments in our orchestra begin to fade. Friends, family, and loved ones, who once played their parts so beautifully, drift into silence. It’s a hard truth, one we never imagined in our youth — when the music played loud and joyful, each instrument harmonizing together. But time has a way of changing the score.

Sadly, as members leave the stage, their notes evolve into reminders of melodies once played. Memories of laughter, conversations, and shared moments now replace their original sounds. Fortunately, these cherished echoes linger in our hearts, filling the spaces left behind with warmth.

Yet, amidst these quieting notes, new instruments join our orchestra, bringing fresh energy and hope. Children, with their innocent, infectious laughter, add new harmonies to our symphony. Their presence reminds us that they will carry forward the legacy of those who came before.

As we play through the final movements of life’s symphony, we come to realize that every note holds meaning. Although the music sometimes slows and softens, it carries on — enriched by the new melodies woven in by the generations that follow. Each passing movement reveals the enduring beauty of our song, a testament that life’s symphony is eternal.

This season invites us to reflect on our journey and embrace the incredible adventure of life — a masterpiece ever in progress. And, as we grow older, we become the seasoned conductors of our own symphony — cherishing and remembering the joyful movements of our past. With each passing year, we look ahead, welcoming the harmonies to come, especially during this sacred season of reflection, renewal, and joy.

May this Christmas and your coming years fill your heart with the joyful harmonies of hope, love, and togetherness, embracing the spirit of the season!

M. Vaughn Duck
15 December 2024

Merry Christmas and our very best wishes for the coming year!

The Ducks
Nathalie & Vaughn
Nice, France 2024

Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck

The Symphony of Life was originally published in Lyrics and Poems by M. Vaughn Duck on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.