The Crossing
a poem
The light changed,
A woman strode across the crosswalk with pace
A beat later, or maybe three or four beats,
The old man, clutching a shopping bag,
Stepped onto the first white bar of the crosswalk.
Determined to step across four lanes of traffic.
One step at a time.
His head bent forward from the neck,
His gait was right step forward, then pull the left foot even.
Over and over, he repeated this cadence.
Slowly.
Halfway across the street, with two lanes at his back,
The light changed to green.
With two more lanes to go.
A utility truck stood guard
Waiting patiently for the old man to finish his trek
Across four lanes of traffic.
Bag in hand, with a one-step cadence, over and over again.
