He seems like someone
comfortable
running meetings
of consequence
in oaky boardrooms
tall, thin, cleanshaven
in a wellcut dark suit
but just now on Cooper Street
he is grimly silent
his shoulders
hunch forwardown
chin tucks to chest
and he tries to hurry
defensively clutching
three plastic sacks
high end take-home
cut flower bouquet
nice bottle of wine
a halfdozen hurried,
near-scuttling steps
ahead of the young man
he implausibly ignores.
The younger man's
unsettled eyes
are electricbright
in his twisting face
even shadowed over by
a ballcap in early twilight,
freelance court jester
running behind
dancing jumping pointing
shrieking againandagain
at the older man's
stoic beetleshell back
"You don't want to know it!
But you need to know it!
