Old Man William

 

Old Man William

with apologies to Lewis Carroll

“You are old, father William,” the young man cried,

“The locks which adorn you are white;

You spout rancor, Old William – a raucous old man;

Now tell me the cause of your spite.”

 

“In the days of my youth,” father William replied,

“Believing that truth comes at last,

I pushed upon windmills, and sought to right wrongs.

Defeated, my vigor has passed.”

 

“You are Old Father William,” the young man cried,

“Frustration’s best laid with a wreath...

Yet still you remember, and go on and on –

Say straight now the cause of your grief.”

 

“Irrepressible youth,” Old Man William responds,

“sought Paradise to Come …

Forsaking Credit, Took the Cash …

Yet better, a sip of warm Rum.”

 

 “You are Old Father William,” the young man cried,

"Sancho and Dapple are gray;

Rocinante remains, but you all feel your pain…

So why not your lance put away?”

 

“I am stubborn, young man,” Elder Willy avers,

“Bludgeoned by fate, let hope never fade;

Let the fight carry on – it will last when I’m gone.

With God’s help the world’s better made.”