Standing silently in solitude
The shape watches, half revealed in the moonlight.
Like a sentry, it waits patiently
In the gentle dark of midnight.
He stands guard in the shadows
On a shelf, out of the way
And always he keeps his vigil
Over my sleep until the day.
Most times he stands dusty and forgotten
A passed over shard of youth,
Tucked neatly away on its shelf,
He sits and waits and wonders sadly aloof.
Does he sleep himself, or stay awake
To protect me like in the past.
From wayward slivers of nightmares
And nightly worries that linger last.
Am I thankful for his vigil
When I awaken in the night?
I suppose he lends me comfort,
Looking down from his shelved height.
I love him, that old one-eyed one,
And his reminder of a simpler strife,
But what hope does an old toy hold
In the maelstrom of adult life?
The Old One, a Poem by Chad Bonaker
The Audio is read be me, Chad Bonaker as part of my Poems of a Younger Me Project in which I give the cringey poems of my teenage years a quick copy edit. The Music is called Dusk by Ian Post. The stuffed animal stand-in for the old one is my daughters Old Elephant. I hope you have an Old Elephant to watch over you in your sleep. If you enjoyed this slightly embarrassing Project, let me know by sharing this and/or leaving a comment
Photoshop Brush Design Credit: Brusheezy.com
The Podcast of Calling 