Old, Wise People

Once upon a time,
in a land far, far away…

When the average life expectancy was probably 40,
and people who lived longer were revered…
Let’s understand: we’re not talking about 45. 50. 60.

And people who lived to 45, 50, 60
were not assumed to be wise.

Old, wise people

They lived twice as long as most people
at least.
And the people who were set to live twice, thrice
as long
seemed to know who they were
while they were still planning their lives.

Revered for having God’s Spirit in them,
(we can speculate today that He energized cell growth,
gave white blood cells speed and intelligence;
they certainly couldn’t have done it without Him:
they were inbred),
the twice-as-old were not loved for age alone.
The simply old, 40-, 50-years-old
were regular people;
they learned climatic patterns,
gave practical advice,
they did not watch TV.
The twice-as-old did(n’t), too, but…
the extra life in them was supernatural.

We know the twice-as-old
more by how much they didn’t know
than by how much they did.

They don’t live here and now.
The 40-, 50-, 60-year-old somebodys
who drive cars
urge the world to do what doesn’t work anymore,
who watch commercials:
claim the place of the twice-as-olds
thrice-as-olds,
thinking age was the only factor
that made those people wise (and were they?).
They tell us God hates the widow,
the fatherless,
the sojourner,
and the poor.
They take bribes,
support peace, but only amongst their own.

I respect my elders for what they’re worth,
which, to those who expect more, is very little.
My God is a jealous God.

Thank you for reading

If this poem brought value to your life, please clap, share, or donate