Old fools revisited

Hands on their laps

or hanging lost

they behave nicely

trying to be good girls

and good boys

to earn that extra cookie

after tea.

They seem to concentrate

try to focus

but all they do is sit and wait

in snug acceptance

staring into space

hollowed out of hope

just waiting

in vague remembrance

of now meaningless shreds

of past life.

Ironically,

time can be so generous

when you no longer need it.