Critiquing the cuisine
at the soup kitchen
two homeless men
So many days now
the absence of the old man
who sat in the sun
At the occult shop:
the wizard’s crystal ball
catches the morning sun
The old widower:
so reluctant to conclude
the conversation
In an autumn wind,
looking through a box of books
left on the corner
Now a street person
but still in combat fatigues-
the Vietnam vet
Beyond the chitchat
of the garden party-
the mockingbird’s song
After gazing at stars…
now, I adjust to the rocks
under my sleeping bag
Quietly waiting
for the bakery to open,
the early risers
Deep in the mountains,
at the monastery gate
a view of the stars