Illustration of seven dwarves by Franz Jüttner‘The Seven Dwarves of Old Age’ by Roy E. Peterson The Society April 24, 2021 Humor, Poetry 10 Comments . The Seven Dwarves of Old Age The seven dwarves of old age __Have come to live with me, But what could be the use of them __Is more than I can see. First Napper came and gave a wink __And slept upon my bed. Warm afternoons are quiet time __When Napper is well fed. The second one to slouch around __Was Wrinkly, who’s an elf. I found him in a mirror when __I looked upon myself. Then Squinty, stumbling, came in next. __His eyes could hardly see The sell-by dates once printed on __The food in my pantry. One Rocky wanted exercise, __So rocked upon my chair. I bought two rockers for my den, __So we can rock in there. One Saggy sadly saw me when __I had to take a shower. He said that I was drooping flesh __And had no muscle power. One Freaky almost scared me when __I tried to do some work. I soon concluded Freaky was __An angry foul-mouthed jerk. And last of all, one Creaky crept __And spoke from every bone. With groan and moan and crackle-snap, __He walked around my home. So, what am I to do with them, __Since they came here to stay? Just move a little slower, give __Them comfort every day. . . Roy E. Peterson is a writer and former U.S. military army intelligence officer who currently resides in Texas. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 10 Responses Julian D. Woodruff April 24, 2021 Very good, Mr. Peterson, But you forgot stodgy and foggy … and then there’s Napper and Rocky and … Reply Beverly S Stock April 24, 2021 Such clever fun! Reply Tonia Kalouria April 24, 2021 How fun! (And sadly, how true.) But worse, the little buggars are procreating. Sigh. Reply Sally Cook April 24, 2021 You certainly got under my skin! But what about Dizzy and Dumpy? Well, I suppose we could go on forever, but I am just beginning to understand why Snow White decided to take a nap! Reply Jeff Kemper April 24, 2021 Nice! How about a glance in the rear view mirror several decades worth, for fantasy’s sake. Reply Jeff Eardley April 24, 2021 Witty, clever and a great fun read. Thanks Roy. Reply Paul Freeman April 24, 2021 Very humorous, and somehow as dark as the picture. A difficult feat to achieve. Now back to my own dwarf, Insomnia. Reply C.B. Anderson April 25, 2021 A man once told me, Roy, as he was struggling to climb a staircase, “Don’t get old, Kip!” Ha! I didn’t listen, so here I am. Only seven? What about Cranky and Forgetful? A nice idea in this poem, which would be funnier (in a lighthearted way, though not in the tragicomic way it is actually presented here) if it weren’t so close to the truth. I don’t have to laugh so hard to make my sides ache anymore; everything already aches, for no good reason, most of the time. Reply Maurice O’Sullivan April 25, 2021 Roy, Love it. We clearly share the same dwarves. Reply David Watt April 28, 2021 Roy, unfortunately, there is truth in every stanza. Your poem is a clever take on a familiar story. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Julian D. Woodruff April 24, 2021 Very good, Mr. Peterson, But you forgot stodgy and foggy … and then there’s Napper and Rocky and … Reply
Tonia Kalouria April 24, 2021 How fun! (And sadly, how true.) But worse, the little buggars are procreating. Sigh. Reply
Sally Cook April 24, 2021 You certainly got under my skin! But what about Dizzy and Dumpy? Well, I suppose we could go on forever, but I am just beginning to understand why Snow White decided to take a nap! Reply
Jeff Kemper April 24, 2021 Nice! How about a glance in the rear view mirror several decades worth, for fantasy’s sake. Reply
Paul Freeman April 24, 2021 Very humorous, and somehow as dark as the picture. A difficult feat to achieve. Now back to my own dwarf, Insomnia. Reply
C.B. Anderson April 25, 2021 A man once told me, Roy, as he was struggling to climb a staircase, “Don’t get old, Kip!” Ha! I didn’t listen, so here I am. Only seven? What about Cranky and Forgetful? A nice idea in this poem, which would be funnier (in a lighthearted way, though not in the tragicomic way it is actually presented here) if it weren’t so close to the truth. I don’t have to laugh so hard to make my sides ache anymore; everything already aches, for no good reason, most of the time. Reply
David Watt April 28, 2021 Roy, unfortunately, there is truth in every stanza. Your poem is a clever take on a familiar story. Reply