Wisdom (Radio Edit)
Jim Flannery
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Tell me your story, if it's not rude to ask You seem like you'd know from all the years passed What questions should I ask to learn what will be missed Like what do you regret most doing and how how'd you handle raising kids? I feel like there's an absence, of value to our people The older they get, the more that they're cared for But are they cared about? It's their wisdom I'm after Hearing their stories, and connecting with laughter After so many years spent being productive It feels like our elders are dismissed, separated, and shut in The obvious procedure, for aging and growing Is to pass on knowledge and graciously accepting How is it reasonable to think I know more Than anyone who arrived to this planet before I'd like to think I'm smart from what I've read and experienced Yet I source from accumulated knowledge and have an unfulfilled yearning To know and see everything, from standing on the shoulders of giants I trust If we don't engage with our elders, their central nervous system will rust I know the imagery may be dreary So why do the halls of nursing homes feel like machinery A system of systems that shuffle humans around Ignoring their humanity till they're put in the ground Are we all destined to be data blips, getting our food on a conveyor When it appears that our ancestors, knew a way better I've seen a sadness and despair in our health care facilities That doesn't belong at the finish line of the living I may just be cynical, from seeing our elders get trapped without love But if we truly value people, we wouldn't treat them like junk Can they not participate, have we forgotten they're citizens? My grandma could barely walk but still she babysitted And she crushed crosswords and Jeopardy With a calmness and ease Why didn't I ask more questions Or help her to escape How do we learn where we come from And understand our paths When families keep secrets And those who reveal them are branded outcasts The truth is hard to find when it's contained in our heads And sadly this knowledge is buried with the dead When I think of those I've learned from, I have to admit It's from those who I admire, like Martin, Malcolm, Judi, and David I can't neglect my parents, uncles, aunts, sister, and brothers What I've learn from observations from all those who're older Plus Feynman, Newton, and don't forget Einstein Why didn't Sandler include him in his songs, is it cause his name doesn't rhyme? These people are like heroes, why would they lose their ability To continue to contribute, like age is a disability While we're on the topic of excluding humans Don't neglect those labelled disabled who are forcibly shut in Many healthy people who are locked in these facilities Are being forcibly drugged against their own wishes I hear phrases like quality of care replace quality of life I can't imagine my quality of love if I was told I'm too old to live with my wife I'd rather live in the community than be cast out of my home I've never seen animals force other animals to be alone And who would I be to control someone whose lived twice or three times as long When I can hardly pick the best words that they make like in a song How could I dictate where they should live When they may enjoy their neighbors or prefer to sit and read their pages To what extent are we exchanging safety and security For a life of hidden misery, that we never have to see Like a retirement home is a haunted house on an island off the Cape Where you're tortured with boredom, isolation, and pain And if you've got a symptom they can give you something So who the f--k owns my grandma when these decisions get made It all seems disturbing, if we cannot trust The ocean of people who came before us Who can still play the drums well beyond the time When their dance is done, they can still pound without needing to rhyme So why dye your hair, to hide that you're aging Grey is a celebration of wisdom, not something that's faded Though don't take my advice, if you prefer the way you made it And if you've got none left, then f**k it, sorry to sound jaded I'm exhausted is all, I'm sorry if you can relate it Feels unfair being a person admitting he hates that I'm constantly needing to prove myself worthy To make my own decisions and be considered a person
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