The Old Man's Dreams Poem by Bryan Taplits

The pit bull gave it's warning sound
The little girl sat athwart-transfixed,
The old man intervened
and pummeled the hound
Thus, ending all dangers quick.
She cooed a 'thank you' to him
Shy but grateful-and with pluck-
But before he could grin in return
He turned in his bed-
And the rustle of his bed woke him up.

The car speeded and ran through the sign
That wasn't read-but definitely was red,
The little girl in thrall to the car
Stood transfixed-
and so couldn't even try-
even though she wished she could have fled.

So he jumped in the way
Ignoring the peril
And picking her up
(away from Harm's arms)
He woke up-
Alert in his bed-
His heart beating so fast-
He thought he had devolved to a pup.

He liked being this hero
He wished these things
he still could do,
Whatever his night dreams
said he once did-
he wished he still now could also do.
'Oh well, ' he thought to himself
'I'll take on this possible chance, '
he said-
Not caring of his heart
and his possible death.
'At least, ' he thought,
his wit on a razor's edge,
'This way-
at least I shall die in my bed.'


So because of his age,
And his worthy, heroic soul
He no longer was afeared of his doom,
He thought that he'd much rather die as a hero-
than get older sooner-
Wouldn't you
make such a rationale choice, too?