Rocking Chair Regret

here I sit with
tired eyes, 
slackening hands,
and an aching déjà vu

no longer a young recruit
in the struggle for what should be;
now I am nothing but a witness
to the battle that never dies

a lifetime ago
we fought to be heard -
if only we had learned
to listen!

so, the rocking chair
sways with regret and
the wheels on the bus
go 'round and 'round