The Wheelchairs And The Walkers Frighten Me Poem by Shalom Freedman

The wheelchairs and the walkers frighten me
I am at the age for them
One mistake and I am there
I don't want to be there
I do not want to sit alone for hours
Waiting for a rushed visitor
Or for the next institutional meal
I see friends
Competent people
Smart people
People who were at the top of the game
They sit there
Mouths open
Staring into nothingness
I am afraid of becoming one of them
And I am not sure
I know how to prevent this.