Just Old Men Now

I have always believed that fame is a double edged sword. There are many positive and negative components to life in the public eye. This poem focuses on one of the negatives. On social media we constantly see images of our heroes when they were in their prime and compare their aging selves to that standard. A symptom of our culture’s obsession with youth, I think. And it saddens me.

We are, all of us, just old men now.

Who carry the burden of time and change.

The aging rock stars, idols of my youth,

The tough guy actors who beat the odds,

The underdog athlete’s spectacular range.

I can see them still when time will allow

Those old memories to surface somehow.

But fame offers a poor bargain revealed,

To age in the public eye in a final reel.

For you are forever competing with

The glory days of your younger self.

So I am thankful to age in anonymity

With friends and family in my company

Growing old at the same pace as me.