A Winter Walk – A Poem

I was walking in the snow.

my every movement

was focused only on

putting one foot

in front of the other.

My cane was making

star patterns in the

white crust on the earth.

A man approached me,

his face full of concern.

He said something

that I did not hear.

I asked him to repeat

himself. It didn’t help

that the wind was blowing

and I had gone temporarily deaf.

He spoke again and I just nodded,

still not able to make out his words.

I walked on, thinking on him

and what he said came into me

loud and clear:

“Watch where you’re going.

It’s dangerous out! You have

to be careful.”

I wish I had responded

with a thank you or

a smile, but I didn’t hear him.

I heard him now

and his words kept me safe

on the long walk home.