The Seven Ages of Man (revised)

Introduction by William Shakespeare (lines 1 - 5 or 6, I don't remember.)

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
First the infant,
Bawling and fuming in mommy's arms.
Wide eyes absorb surroundings, hungry senses devour knowledge.
Next, the carefree child,
Enjoying life at face value,
Understanding nothing, loving everything.
His magical sense of surrealism
Enveloping comrades in a realm of imagination.
The child recedes.
Games become girls; wonder, work.
The chained and angry adolescent,
Seeking freedom, independence, love.
Then, the individual,
Full of vigor and a notion of adventure.
High hopes and an iron will freckled with vague ingenuity
Lead him to the top.
The summer of life has come and gone,
And the father makes his entrance.
Armed merely with wife and job,
He carefully molds and crafts children in his own image.
Exhausting efforts are used caring for and spending time with them.
Time turns to money; and money, to time.
As the father exits, the wise man slowly crawls onto the stage,
Cane in hand and hand on back.
A sudden understanding lights up the dark.
The roaches scatter, and a reflection shines froth from the murky waters.
The wise man sees his life-
Dreams lost, reality found.
His existence left in writing,
His legacy left in the love of his children.
A crooked smile creeps across his face as he recognizes the futility of it all.
And all at once, the "who" recoils into the recesses of the mind,
Abandoning the body to fend for itself.
And the children laugh.
And the wise men cry,
For the script is growing thin.