Walking In the City

What is it now,
says Abner to Jeremy.
What has you making faces
like that?

It’s the sidewalk,
says Jeremy.
It’s not flat enough
for an old man.
You’d think in a city this size
they’d pay for flat sidewalks,
so many people walking.
But I trip seven times a day
on something.  And don’t get me started
on the trash.  And the boxes in heaps
on the curb?  Like a minefield.

They don’t love the old here,
says Abner.  But we didn’t either
when we were kids.
You want to sit for a while?  Get
back to normal?

This is normal,
says Jeremy.  No,
let’s walk a bit more
then get a drink or something.
Normal. 

Like we always do —
old men walking, drinking,
walking home again
somehow.

Alright, says Abner.
We’ll walk a bit more.