old man steps

inspired from walking on Lexington Ave in New York City

hesitant

just a couple inches forward

growing smaller feet

move.

right and left 

tentatively forward,

testing the ground ahead

as if the pavement will

give way before

the full weight lands

or the city street

is really just hollow sand

not the confident strides

of decades ago

a firm land supporting

the proud colossus.

moving forward

now inches instead of yards

but still going

possibly with cane as advanced guard,

the momentum

goes on

as shuffling

from feet to not even a foot length.

strides diminish

year by year

to the hesitant

little-ing feet

trying to be bold

as fear

of how the ground will hold

grows each step

young men

hurry past 

annoyed at the inconvenience

of swerving around

oblivious

of the creeping lessoning

of their own strides.

soon they too

will no longer look to the horizon

but to the next 

tiny step

Reviews

[Benny Doyle]

This stood out... Very well done!!!