By himself an old man sits He is a hermit But this is not his retirement It is a purgatory Alone with regrets He is punished with memories Of a youth cut short by death His brothers of deed Paid for their innocence and greed In body only he escaped The skin of his teeth Now the ghosts of his past life stir New youth comes for wisdom words A woman watches He listens as her eyes sing sweet The others still babble on Long after his nod He will help them for her eye's sake Mental demons forsaken Lust reawaken The old man gets up, guilt stays down