he was
an old man
that had momentarily
forgotten
the sting of age
one
that seemed
preoccupied
with dreams
that had long since
expired
but he let linger on
much like
the list of things
he would never
accomplish.

he let himself have
these flights of fancy
where he
wasn’t
who he was
the world cheekily
played along with him
a wink and a smile
all that kept him
from realizing
he was just a
road bump
on someone else’s
path to happiness
not at all
the destination.

he was just
an old man
long past the time
he had something
anything
of value to contribute
yet still too naive
to acknowledge
that he knew
what everyone else
knew
i can only
shake my head
when he catches me
looking at him
in the mirror.