FROM SPRING TO AUTUMN
He’s on his way (they said)
Well on.
Almost at the end
Almost there...
It’s a long way down on a long slow path.
He’s one of the lucky ones (they said)
Was he? Really?
At an angle, bent right over with stick stopped, stooped, straining
As if-
He was growing into the ground.
Not out of it.
All alone in his autumn
Moving in the opposite direction to
Life going one way and
Him going the other.
Curvature of the spine (they said)
Stooped, stopped, suspended.
Spring coming
Him going.