You Long For Many Strange Things Poem by Shalom Freedman

You long for many strange things
Things which were once simply annoying
The unintelligible singing of a neighbor's caregiver
The early morning after shul going -on of a friend
Eager to shout his political prejudices in anger
The wrong- time knocking on the door
Of the neighbor with yet another house problem
The presence of other human beings
Their voices their laughter
Anything which breaks the silent loneliness of old age
And makes one feel one is part of the world again