Poem: Tempus Fugit

I was 12 years old and still a boy
You were grey and old
Born while Victoria was still queen
Pictures show you beautiful and bold
In a life of a thousand summers
I watched you age and slip away

I was 22 and nearly a man
You were great and good
My mad and brilliant granddad
Who conjured toys from wire and wood
In a life of a thousand summers
I watched you age and slip away

I was 25 and freshly wed
You were frail and meek
I never knew you young or strong
But your Geordie manner was unique
In a life of a thousand summers
I watched you age and slip away

I was 52 and beaten down
You were my strength and shield
My self-same dad larger than life
Too often I left my love concealed
In a life of a thousand summers
I watched you age and slip away

I am now 58 and have lived a life
In the mirror I am old and grey
The boy I was has long since passed
And time will not delay
In a life of a thousand summers
I know I too will age and slip away