Thursday Short Poem: Justice's Men at Forty

I'll be 38 on Sunday, and I realize that though I've quoted the opening stanza of this Donald Justice poem, I haven't had the whole thing up.

Men at Forty

Men at forty
Learn to close softly
The doors to rooms they will not be
Coming back to.

At rest on a stair landing,
They feel it moving
Beneath them now like the deck of a ship,
Though the swell is gentle.

And deep in mirrors
They rediscover
The face of the boy as he practices tying
His father's tie there in secret,

And the face of that father,
Still warm with the mystery of lather.
They are more fathers than sons themselves now.
Something is filling them, something

That is like the twilight sound
Of the crickets, immense,
Filling the woods at the foot of the slope
Behind their mortgaged houses.

I love this line:

Something is filling them, something

That is like the twilight sound
Of the crickets, immense...

I know what that means now, thank God, thank God.

Comments

[Mr. Bad]

Hugo, who's the author?

[Hugo]

Whoops, my bad! Donald Justice; I left his first name out of the title of the post!

[Mat]

Hugo,
I know its your birthday tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I'll be away....so I want to wish you all the best.

[Mercy]

Hugo,
It's your birthday today! Happy Birthday!
I want to thank you for all the great insight you have given me in your blog site and in the classroom. I have grown and learned so much, I am so grateful for that....I really mean that! You are one of the best instructors in the galaxy! Even if I do disagree with you sometimes.__But most importantly, you are a great person!
I will say a prayer for you on your special day today!
Have a great day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[Angel Janine]

Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't you know that this poem is very seriously!
and this poem is?Justice's Men at Forty
in this poem Pls. read and you will know\Learn about this Poem.

[Angel Janine]

Hellow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are finish reading?
Thank you!
Do you understand the poem?
I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!