old man, head slumped sits in a chair legs between his walker his breath tells the story chest flex on the inhale big sigh with the release more than most here, his suffering must wait I wonder if it comes in a moment, the voice that whispers life is too much, just let go, or need it get louder almost shouted before it’s heard? I slip past him glide with a nurse to a back room my wellness exam quick, painless, my blood’s marker for the kidneys, a little high he’s gone when I

all those glorious temples and old churches, museums of antiquities and art, every ancient place of myth and lore and truly, every wonder of the world never matched that hug by the fan-selling old woman in China playing hackie sack in a circle of Balinese or talking life at the table of a Cuban family I am crazy about connection love meeting people with questions about their family where they work and live, eventually finding the moment when walls crack and I get a peek

with leaden legs I lug the fat and heavier meat of my body shirtless with flip-flops and shorts, I’m as light as I can possibly be even to lift my eyes above a sidewalk dusted with sand and pebbles takes effort every step says it can’t wait to collapse its package onto the sofa this might not be the weather but related to my lighter associates still asleep or at least I hope that’s the case if joy or optimism had left and taken all their friends on vacation they w