Got a cuppa

Got a cuppa

Got a cuppa

Old, and bent over, was what I first noticed,
the elderly man with wrinkled skin,
walking slowly with his cane for support.
Sharply dressed in a shabby sort of way;
presenting to the world a quiet dignity.

As I had my coffee I observed his slow journey,
step by step he continued,
passed by the much younger crowd
that broke like the Red Sea around him,
ignored for the most part,
not in malice,
everyone is so busy and in a hurry,
he however just took his time.

He would look up and smile intermittently,
some would respond
others perhaps did not see him,
he did not seem to take offense,
perhaps he remembered his younger days
and now understands how the elderly perceived him
when he passed them by,
who knows perhaps he was busy with important errands
just like everyone else.

As he got to end of the long mall entrance,
he stopped at a coffee shop
got a cuppa
sat down and seemed to wait.

Then

From the other direction an elderly women,
also bent over,
with one difference,
she had a walker.
She too smiled at those who passed,
like him mostly ignored,
as we do each other often,
age has nothing to do with it,
it is just that both she and the man
had time to just look,
smile,
greet without excepting anything back.

When she arrived at last
for it was indeed a slow walk,
the man arose
bow a little before her,
picked up her hand and gently kissed it,
she blushed like a young girl,
put her little wrinkled hand to her lips
and sat down.

They seemed young then,
sitting,
talking in low voices to one another,
beaming,
friends or perhaps in love,
maybe even lovers,
it does not matter
for they had each other.

I paid for my coffee and left
but as I did I walked by,
stopped,
greeted them,
said how lovely the lady looked
and again she blushed and smiled,
however I did not kiss her hand,
for she was already taken.

As I walked to my car
I felt a spring in my step,
a lightness of being,
and yes
not matter what age
it is good to be alive.