An Old Man

Over the holidays I was in a few airports. In Albuquerque I was waiting at the gate and I saw this elderly Hispanic man reading a newspaper. I was reading a book myself, but I like to watch people at airports. He was right across from me. I looked up as he put his paper down on the empty chair next to him. Unselfconsciously, he cried. I didn't see what he was reading in the paper. My guess is that he read an obituary of an old friend or a sad news story. When I got on the plane, I wrote this poem in my notebook. Then I got to thinking about the alphabet and how it can make you laugh and cry. That's where the poem/song "Twenty-Six" came from.

Anyway, this little piece is sort of the prequel to "Twenty-Six".

I saw an old man

With his head in his hands

His life running by

Just like falling sand

Tears in his eyes

Grief on his face

Another sad member

Of the human race

His collar turned up

To shield from the cold

Nothing matters now

Not possessions or gold

The newspaper next to him

Opened up wide

Black and white faces

Passed to the other side