People Watching Poem by bryan wallace

Sitting on a park bench
Watching the world pass by.
Admiring my surroundings -
Natural and man-made,
And watching the people pass by -
The most fascinating of all!

Shakespeare referred to the world
As a stage - and as I watch
I see all the men and women
Play their parts as they pass me by.

All of them characters in their own right
All much more complicated with more depth,
More emotions and much more interesting
Than anything Shakespeare himself
Could have created for his famous plays.

The youngsters full of life and vitality
Looking for mischief and devilment -
They're still too young to have had life
Sucked out of them by the strife of life.

The young people just beginning their journey
Through adult life - full of hope and promise.
Their enthusiam still in place, not yet jaded
By the cynicism of the passing years.

The middle-aged - now battle weary -
Life didn't turn out as they had planned.
Weakened under the heavy burden of work,
Ticking off the days until retirement.

The elderly walking in their twilight years
Some enlightend by the greater wisdom
And understanding of the passing years,
Some world-weary and tired -
Making their plans to meet their maker.

All of us are actors as the drama unfolds,
All of us have a part to play in life.
Those who have already exited stage-left
Are not so fortunate.

We should enjoy our moments on life's stage,
Play our parts with enthusiam and joy -
Take the curtain call and standing ovation-
No-one could play our part as well we can.