Wednesday, January 4, 2023

To Curmudgeons by Julie Christen

Here's to all the curmudgeons in my life, including the one you will meet in Nokota Voices coming in April.

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To Curmudgeons by Julie Christen


I know a man who’s not what he seems.

On the outside, in fact, he looks downright mean.


His brow is all crinkled in the shape of a V.

His mouth is a grimace. He sure acts cranky.


Hands crammed in his pockets or crossed over his chest.

Stand-offish. Skeptical. Unimpressed.


Mad at the world? Just mad at you?

Mad about change and politics too.


A crabby old man, just mean to the bone.

Wishing that we would all leave him alone.


But …


Hidden in shadowy depths unseen

Lie stories of pain and places he’s been.


He loves with his whole heart. Mourns those he’s lost.

He’ll fight to the death for you - damn the cost.


His hands are gnarled, tender and strong

To pray, caress and work all day long.


Wisdom courses through his veins.

So much knowledge. Zero fame.


He’s been there, done that. Got the t-shirt and then some.

He’s a man with a story, not just a curmudgeon.


So next time you see him, maybe give him a chance 

To prove he’s much more than you see at first glance.




6 comments:

  1. Very nice… a lesson to be learned, with an air of humor.

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  2. Interesting character. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Well put. Sometimes he's a veteran, sometimes just a man who's seen too much pain.

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  4. Some of my most memorable conversations occur with people who are curmudgeons to the core. A person can't help but eagerly learn and listen to the stories of those who have weathered the kinds of storms that people aren't meant to survive, earning the right to tell them in the most ornery fashion possible. You've captured the heart of a curmudgeon to a T Julie.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jake! I hope someone out there might see a curmudgeon in their life a little differently. They are gems.

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