Poem #27: Benjamin Button and the Fountain of Youth

Old Benjamin Button was a man

with a very curious fate.

Although he was only ten years old, 

he seemed to be seventy-eight.

His age would increase in minutes,

but his looks decreased in years;

not living to be five years old 

was one of his deepest fears.

One day, he was strolling through the woods

with his false teeth and his crook,

when underneath a little tree,

he spotted a little brook.

It babbled and giggled over rocks,

so cold and cool and clear

He bent and he took a drink, then heard

a small voice in his ear

It was the good fairy of the Woods,

she said, "Good day, good sir!

I see you've found the Fountain of Youth

of which you've heard, I'm sure.

"From this day forth, you'll never age

in wisdom, looks or hours;

from now on, you will stay as you are,

for such are the Fountain's powers."

As she flew away, poor Benjamin thought,

"I'll never grow up to be young! 

I'll never skip, or roll in the grass,

or play in the rain or sun."

He sat down sadly on a rock, 

and thought to himself, "Poor Ben!"

Then, suddenly, an idea came,

and I'll tell you what he did then:

He purchased a simple time machine

from Time Machines 'R' Us

and he traveled back to an earlier time,

when he'd been more old than he was.

He found his younger (or older) self

and said, "I know this is strange,

but if you could help me with this plan,

I believe both our lives will change."

He said, "You have past and future,

but I only have past and now.

I cannot go forward to change our fate,

but you can, and I'll tell you how."

Then Benjamin held up a bottle

filled with the water from the brook,

he said, "You must go to the future,

where for our future self you must look."

So younger (or older) Ben took the bottle

and hopped in the time machine.

He waved out the window and said,

"Farewell! I promise I'll not fail the scheme!"

When Benjamin from the past came to the future,

he found there a strong young man.

He said, "Hallo, Ben. I'm your Older Past,

you must believe me if you can."

So future (and younger) Ben heard past Ben's tale

and said, "Yes of course I will drink.

What it would be like if I had to be old for 

eternity, I cannot think!"

With that, young Benjamin drank from the bottle,

and the present Ben disappeared.
 there could not be two Benjamins in eternity,

cause that would just be weird.

Now Benjamin Button exults in his youth

and does all the good that he can.

He has great respect for the elderly folks,

for that is where he began.