Over 65

[Saturday Morning Breakfast Folks]

By Stone Bryson

Every Saturday morning… around a quarter 'til nine,
you'll see them coming into McDonald's in groups of four or five.

Society calls them elderly,
children call them old,
to me they are an encyclopedia of stories to be told.

Those Saturday morning breakfast folks
are young beyond their years.
They've lived through times we couldn't imagine
in our wildest fears.
If we took the time necessary
to listen to their tales,
we'd learn to appreciate 
the lives we live
and the hardships of their trails.

Every Saturday morning… my smile is always wide,
the energy these people display is bright in their hearts and minds.

The heartless call them a burden,
politicians call them votes,
to me their knowledge goes beyond any professors notes.

Those Saturday morning breakfast folks
are the lifeline we maintain.
They are the future because they've molded
the young minds of today.
If we took the time necessary
to be thankful they're alive,
we'd learn their lessons
are essential
if we're to survive.

Every Saturday morning… I feel their strength and drive,
these people prove they're so more than folks over 65.

The innocent call them helpless,
to the foolish they're a drain,
to me they are the stone foundation that keeps all of us sane.

Those Saturday morning breakfast folks
are kin to mortal gods.
Their greatness shines 
in victories they've won
against insurmountable odds.
If we took the time necessary
to see them as they are,
we'd learn they define 
our very essence
and the best of us, by far.

Copyright © 2003 Stone Bryson.  All Rights Reserved.

Written October 1995

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