When You Are Old By Bob McAfee

When You Are Old

you spend hours on a bench
in early morning Paris cold 
beneath the verdigrised 
statue of Charlemagne 
outside of Notre Dame, 
your arms covered 
with pigeons drawn 
to popcorn puffs clenched 
in each of your outspread hands, 
the raunchy 
brown squirrels scream 
from the branches 
while your brown lab 
sits patiently 
on his haunches 
in the grass 
on the Île de la Cité.  

Bob McAfee is a retired software consultant who lives near Boston.
His goal is producing poems with both fierceness and a reluctant sense of optimism.

He has written six books of poetry including
“Natural Worlds” poems illustrated with color photographs 2021
“Love Songs” 2022
both available through bookbaby.com.

Website: bobmcafee.com.

Poems have been accepted by The Lyric, The Blue Mountain Review,
Gleam Poets, Grand Little Things, Poetry Super Highway,
The Society of Classical Poets Journal and many more.