A Baby is Born and a Person Dies - Poem

A Baby is Born and a Person Dies

When I was born I was defenceless
I needed people to look after me twenty-four hours a day
As I grew older I learnt that I could look after myself
It was a gradual process
I learnt to crawl and then walk
I learnt to wash myself and clean my teeth
I learnt to eat with a knife and fork and make up short sentences

I went to school
I met many new people and made lots of friends
I learnt even more new things
I learnt to paint and draw
I learnt to swim and exercise
I learnt to do maths and science

I progressed even further
I took exams and left school
I got a job; I earned money and made yet more friends
I went at a set time every day and came home at a set time every day, in a way it was just like school
I still had to learn and I still had a timetable
I worked long and hard
I hardly had a day off sick

When I reached sixty-five I retired
I knew that I had to make the most of what was left of my life
I spent time in the garden amongst the flowers
I travelled the country up and down
I joined lots of clubs
I was hardly ever in

One day they said I couldn’t cope on my own any longer so they put me into an old people’s home
I had a nice room to sit in
What more could I want?
They fed me and washed me just like when I was first born

One day I will die then they won’t have to look after me anymore
It won’t take them long to find another person to look after
The cycle goes on and on
A baby is born and a person dies


I love writing about the elderly and this is one such piece that touches on that subject. My inspiration for this piece was visiting Stratton Hospital, a hospital for the elderly.