The Grumpy Old Man

Have you heard the story of the grumpy old man?
Who sat on his porch with a shotgun in hand,
He rocked back and forth in his creaky old chair,
And glared at the kids while he stroked his grey hair.

People walked by and pointed and stared,
Some laughed at him but some were scared,
He had put up signs that said “Stay out,”
And no one really knew what the grump was about.

Kids would drive by and throw rocks at his house,
While they laughed and pointed and tussled about,
Others would poke fun and yell and shout,
But they wouldn’t if they knew what the grump was about.

He sat all alone as he grumpily sneered,
On his porch as he had done for years,
He had lived his life and he was ready to go,
And he wanted to just be left all alone.

But deep inside this withered old grump,
Was a tender heart that slowly pumped,
It was a heart that was once so gentle and kind,
But his good heart was broken and once left behind.

So he sits on his porch and looks into the sky,
He looks up with a rare gentle glint in his eye,
He says, “God, I think tonight is the night,
I’ve been looking forward to see ya for a really long time.

I hope you still remember what you promised to me,
When I was all alone and as scared as could be,
I can’t say I’ve been perfect but I’ve tried my best,
I hope I haven’t disappointed you too much, I hope I’ve passed your test.

I hope I haven’t scared too many of those kids,
Please bless each one, I don’t care what they did,
And all those that laughed at me please forgive,
I’d have laughed at me too if one of their lives I had lived.

I just hope that when those kids finally grow up,
They don’t break their own hearts like I did once,
And let go of the person that they truly love,
And turn into me, an ornery old grump.”

So the grumpy old man talked to God through the night,
Till the rays of the sun o’er the horizon did shine,
But this morning was different, for no rocks were tossed,
Nobody laughed, and nobody scoffed.

A few people pointed but not to make fun,
Just to point out that the old man’s life was finally done,
The ambulance came and they took him away,
Put him in a lone grave, but nobody came.

The next morning in the newspapers headline,
In big bold letters, “The Grumpy Old Man Has Finally Died.”
Years went by and not a tear was shed,
Because they never knew the man’s heart that was once broken.

I knew the old man though, and my tears did drop,
When I found out that he had returned to his God,
And there is no doubt in my mind that his promise was sealed,
It took a life time, but I’m sure now that his heart has finally been healed.

-Jacob Winterfeldt