Old Folks at Home

[Achebe]

Old Folks at Home


The radio played, the beat rocked on
with music from an earlier time.
It sang a well remembered song
of teenage love “that was so fine”.


And so despite arthritic knees,
at half the speed they used to do,
secretly glad that no-one sees,
practised again the steps they knew.


Their little time of memories
where, for a moment young again,
they could dismiss their stiffening knees
freed, for a moment, nagging pain.


The music stopped, and so did they;
now gone, the spell of sweet release;
as they returned to present day,
complete with aches that rarely cease.

Nice and unpretentious.
I enjoyed reading it.
thanks for posting.

Minor nits:
1) freed, for a moment, etc. - a 'from' might be missing somewhere eg. 'freed for a while from nagging pain'
2) 'as they returned' - the 'as' doesn't look right. Something like 'they came back to the present day' might solve that issue.
3) 'complete with' has a problem with the meter, at least to my ear - and be warned that my ear is not the most sensitive. I read it as "complete" instead of "comPLETE", the latter sounding unnatural. I would suggest something like "with ACHES and PAINS that RAREly CEASE"