Time Presses Hard Poem by Colin Ian Jeffery

Time presses hard forcing me to my knees
Wringing hands for all that is no more
Weeping against grey clouds of loneliness,
Lost within swirling mists when time was mine
Precious, manipulated as the heart decreed.
Summers bright, shared with family and friends
All now grave deep or with ashes scattered.
Old age claimed the body but not the mind,
Still active, alert, as if young and robust,
Not made prisoner to ticking the passing hour.
Body racked with arthritis, blood-pressure, gout,
Eye-sight failing, continuing life' journey alone.
Oh, but to hear the laughter and share happiness
With those I knew and loved, all treasured memories.