'Old Man, Take A Look At Yourself' Poem by James McLain

Old man, take a look at yourself,
in the cracked mirror, stained with regret.
Wrinkles map the roads you've walked,
each one a scar, a memory etched.

The bottles once full, now empty,
like your dreams, drained and dry.
The women you chased,
now ghosts in the corners of your eyes.

You traded your youth for a bitter sip,
thinking time was endless,
but now the clock ticks louder,
each second a hammer on your heart.

Your hands, once strong,
now tremble like leaves in the wind.
The fire in your belly,
replaced by the cold ash of regret.

Old man, take a look at yourself,
the night is closing in fast.
But there's still fight left in you,
a spark that refuses to die.

So raise your glass one last time,
and toast to the pain, the loss, the joy.
For in the end, it's all the same,
just another day in this mad, mad game.