Mr. John Doe's Room
It’s just a meager taxi ride
From your home sweet home
Where extraordinary people live
Yet spend their days alone
And if you were to wander in
On some fine afternoon
I’d urge you to come take a look
At Mr. John Doe’s Room
And you will find an old, frail frame
That once stood “ten feet tall”
Whose legs became a wheelchair
Just after that last fall
But look beyond the telling lines
That lead to humbled eyes
And you may see a different man,
A Hero in disguise
Look closely at the pictures
Of his all-adoring kids
Their faces singing praises for
What kind of dad he is
And please don’t miss the stunning quilt
That warms his standard bed
The one his dear wife made with love
Just after they were wed
The quilt alone will tell you
Of her diligence and care
But speak, it won’t, of all the trials
And hurts they’ve had to bear
Like going without food for days
So that their kids could eat
In the days of the Depression
When life was bittersweet
And the time she lost the baby
After two hard days of labor
And nearly lost her own life
Had the Lord not chose to save her
He’s watched those tender, loving hands
Grow weary with disease
And as he once proposed to her
He said “Good-bye” upon his knees
And over in the corner
There’s a shoe-box filled with stars
That he had earned in Normandy
Along with battle scars
And that’s not all – there’s so much more
That you will never see
Unless you look with brand new eyes
At each biography
So let each face that your eyes scan
Be as a precious flower
Whose beauty far exceeds your own
When in its latest hour
And as you leave this “Garden”
Of wisdom in full bloom
You’ll find a living Legend
In every John Doe’s room
that poem was amazing girl. i remember charlie...he never wanted to go down without a fight...and he didn't. :) my other favorite couple there...i don't remember their last name, were Bud and his wife. i could just see everyday how much they loved each other. and they had tons of stories too. i'll never forget how sad Bud got after his wife left us...and then of course, he left us as well. thanks for the memories...even if they are a bit bittersweet :)
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