At the Time of the Winter Thaw
At the time of the winter thaw
Fifth Avenue was amazed
by his coat, his shoes,
yet polished ways
as he moved past Irish hacks,
vagrant blacks
and women encased in hair spray.
After all the ellipses of his days,
his dawdling reflected gaze,
conversation with fountain maids
and leather soles
scuffling through the subway,
it wasn't god's work he was about
nor the tempting of the night,
just the sweet sight of sun
wrapped in last week's rotten leaves,
a stone tossed across the lake,
and mix of sun and wind against his face.