A Poem. Yes, another one by me

Winter Walk

More than anything

it was a walk for mulling

pulling into myself to get lost in thought

so far in I could study the curves and kinks

of my own brain

not a collecting walk

not for gathering data or noticing

the shallowness of the river

water lines on rocks

trees felled by beaver teeth

duck families floating easy

in the sunshine—these

are for other times

Of course

one has to look up now and then

check the turn of the path

follow several V’s of honking geese

ascertain that the sky

shows darker blue through trees

squeeze out a hello to oncomers

and is not immune to the bite

of winter air

still

one can take in these elements

without interrupting the private narrative

the silent humming

the rhythm of step step step step

Such was my walk today

quiet cold self-absorbed

until two women stop me on the path

to learn if I have seen him

the naked man across the river

pointing

they describe the workings of his mind

as though it were their own

his age his motivation and posture

as I try to keep

my direction

my progress

my thoughts

but they persist and

Putting on my glasses

I follow their fingers to a spot

where they say he was

but is no longer

they assure me he was there

remind me it’s not normal

and so close to the golf course

I move on

the same route as before

though I am altered

now I must ponder this young naked man I have not seen

is he well

does he have a home

was he there gathering courage

to jump

drown himself in the winter water

now I must worry about him

now I must look out