"My Get Up And Go Has Got Up And Went"

Oratorical Piece

How do I know that my youth’s all spent?
Well, my get up and go has got up and went.
But in spite of it all, I am able to grin
When I recall where my get up has been.

Old age is golden, so I’ve heard it said,
But sometimes I wonder, when I get into bed…
My ears in a drawer and teeth in a cup,
My eyes on the table until I wake up.

The sleep dims my eyes, I say to myself –
“Is there anything else I should lay on the shelf?”
And I am happy to say as I close my door,
My friends are the same, perhaps even more.

When I was young, my slippers were red,
I could kick up my heels right over my head,
When I grew older my slippers were blue,
But still I could dance the whole night through.

Now I am old, my slippers are black.
I walk to the store and puff my way back;
The reason I know my youth is all spent,
My get up and go has got up and went.

But I really don’t mind, when I think with a grin.
Of all the grand places my get up has been.
Since I have retired from life’s competition,
I busy myself with complete repetition.

I get up each morning, dust off my wits,
Pick up my paper, and read the “Orbits”.
If my name is missing, I know I’m not dead.
So I eat a good breakfast, and go back to bed.