The old man in the mirror Looks like I will look some day. The old man in the mirror Needs to cry.

The old man in the mirror Has regrets for lost loves And loves that never were. I will not have such regrets.

The old man in the mirror Needs someone to say they love him. He cannot say that he loves himself. But he is loved.

The old man in the mirror fears death; The old man needs to believe In something besides himself He knows that he is nothing.

The old man in the mirror Has a tear in his eye; It is not self-pity It is a tear for every other lonely person In the world. A tear for every person in the world Who must die.

The old man in the mirror wishes That he could live forever, Learn forever, Learn infinitely; Learn infinity. Love infinitely; Love infinity And not have to miss it.

The old man in the mirror Is close to death; There is fear, and regret, and Passive understanding of mortality The old man in the mirror Looks me in the eye.

The old man in the mirror Looks at what I am And he says to me "You do not need to become me." "You do not need to regret." "You will live forever" "If you love the Lord"

The old man in the mirror looks sincere. I turn him off. That is not my way.

Death cannot be based on lies, just as life Cannot be based on lies. The old man in the mirror lied; The old man in the mirror set a trap I almost accepted the bait But that is not my way.

The old man in the mirror Knows that I will not be taken in by lies. Why does he lie, then? For my own good, he says. So I can be happy, he says. So I can sleep in the arms of the lord, he says.

I would like to believe The old man in the mirror. But I cannot. I cannot believe my own mother. I must believe what I think are the facts. People die, just as animals die. As everything on the earth dies. When they die, that is all. But that should not make death any harder; Acceptance of death is a personal thing. The old man in the mirror Wants it to be a universal thing.

I will never become The old man in the mirror. I hope that I never become The old man in the mirror.