The Old Lady

There came a knock on the door
As I had sat down for a quiet smoke
The butler found an old lady on the doorstep
She had knocked like someone in need
"And what does the old lady want?"

"Does she want shelter?
For we have to none to offer.
One room is for me and my wife,
The other is for my children,
Third is for our honored guests
while Fourth is for the ever-present Decadence."

"What does the old lady want?
Does she want some food?
We surely cannot spare our nice meats
Nor can we share our precious loaves of bread.
Do we have some broth in the larder? No?
There is no food for the old lady here."

"What is she still waiting for?
We don't have clothes for the old lady.
What does she know of our silks?
What does she know of the leather we wear?
Don't we have some old rags? No?
Well then.. please ask her to pass along."

"Is the old lady looking for answers?
On her way down the road?
Have not she lived life enough to know
why and how things are run?
Tell her we don't know of her plight
Tell her we don't care about the world's misery
We live and we earn for ourselves here..
We're not angels in here.. to guide her along.
She has lived enough to know where she's going.
What does the old lady want?
Why does she keep shaking her head?"

I walked through the living room,
past the priceless paintings and vases,
past the Persian rugs and suits of armor,
I stood at the door and looked down at the old lady.
And I stood there for some time.

She was elegant and she looked rich,
Her eyes, deep and blue, saw well past me.
I wondered what she lacked, why was she here,
Her face, it seemed, lacked only a smile.

The old lady wanted a smile.
She had lost hers on the way.
I gave her one.
And she was back on the road..
:)