Old-Age Blues

Repetition was the prompt for today. Just repetition. Every poem has that, but I don’t think there’s any better example of repetition that the blues. So here’s a blues poem. Feel free to add a verse!

I got the getting old blues.

Said the getting old blues.

Seems like every brand new morning

I hear the same “Hey, you’re old” news!

Now my bones they creak like warped boards

make a weary, lonesome sound

Hear my bones creaking like warped boards

with that weary, lonesome sound?

And it doesn’t seem to matter

if I’m alone or you’re around.

Hear me moan with pain and worry

when that sound cries from my knees

Can you hear my painful worry

as pain is shooting from these knees?

It’s from this getting old, dear,

I wish the curse would let me be!

I got the getting old blues.

Said the getting old blues.

Seems like every brand new morning

I hear the same, “Hey, you’re old” news!

Oh, I went to see the doctor

told me, “Shake it outta you!”

Yes, my young and spritely doctor

tells me, “Shake it outta you,

and to help you suck it up, man,

here’s exercises you can do!”

I don’t want to exercise, no,

I just wanna be young once more.

Hear me, don’t wanna exercise, no,

I just wanna feel young once more.

All I get from exercising

is sweat come oozing out my pores!

I got the getting old blues.

Said the getting old blues.

Seems like every brand new morning,

I hear the same, “Hey, you’re old” news!

I tried revival meetings

hope to get help from the Lord.

Been to ten revival meetings

with hope to get help from my Lord,

but He don’t seem to hear me–

either that or Lord’s just bored!

And a drink just doesn’t help much–

Just makes me dizzy in my head.

Not even drink is gonna help much–

I feel so dizzy in my head.

If I try to live a little,

I only end back in bed!

I got the getting old blues.

Said the getting old blues.

Seems like every brand new morning,

I hear the same, “Hey, you’re old” news!

I’ve been to see an old friend

to help me through my age-old pain

Went on out to see an old friend

to try to help me through my pain.

But when my friend open up his door,

I can’t remember my friend’s name!

She looked at me quite blurry

Tells me, “Eh, I can’t help you.”

You know, she look at me all blurry,

Said, “‘Magine me a helping you.

Just take a look at my face.

Old age just ’bout eat me through!”

I got the getting old blues.

Said the getting old blues.

Seems like every brand new morning,

I hear the same, “Hey, you’re old” news!

I have so much old-age sorrow,

don’t know when I’ll laugh again.

There’s just so much aging sorrow,

you’ll never hear me laugh again.

I haven’t felt a giggle

since I can’t remember when!

Will I feel such pain and sorrow

‘til I reach my dying day?

Oh, will I feel such pain and sorrow,

‘til I meet that dying day?

Somehow, I hear the answer,

“Yes, love, gotta learn to live this way!”

I got the getting old blues.

Said the getting old blues.

Seems like every brand new morning,

I hear the same, “Hey you’re old” news!