Yesterday's Man

From child to adult
Plodding your own way
You now take a closer look
At the many years gone away
And to what end goal purchased
From all the time spent
And you can't help wondering how
And where it all went
As you watch the world move on
Leaving you behind
You envision yourself returning
To go back to the grind
But deep inside you know
You'll never fulfill that plan
And now
With you being reduced to this
Yesterday's man

It all happened gradually
Time deceived what it bestowed
You thought you'd have more years
Before
Succumbing to be old
The many things you planned To do
Before turning in your keys
Have mostly been forgotten
Like last year's leaves blowing in the breeze
Bewildered, you find yourself
Staring down a fork in the road
Pondering, surveying, what to do
And which way you'll need to go

Either surrender to stagnation
Or keep running as fast as you can
Either way
You must accept yourself for what you are
Yesterday's man

You worked hard towards an end
That you hoped would never come
As you danced to your own music
While beating your own drum
How sad to see they don't need you
You, who was so depended on
And how quickly they forgot you
And not so long after you'd gone

Hopeless, stupid scenarios
Are played out in your mind
They come, they go, return in dreams
Only to be cast aside
You didn't use to rule the world
But you were on top of your game
Where your decisions made a difference
And everybody knew your name
Out there, the morning whistle blows
And the work is carried through
Just being done a bit differently
And then, of course, without you

So you feel a sense of futility
Your good race already ran
And still with an eye for the future
There you are
Yesterday's man