walked across a manoa park sunrise scene
layed before me like a morning feast for my eyes to eat and eat well
he only has less steps to go than I and mankind
it is his time going golden into his sunset years
mine is in the middle of the sky
but soon dropping behind a mountain

only the book of life knows how many steps we take
it knows when we take the first steps free of parents
it knows when we take the last steps free of parents
this is how the general story goes
unless, SURPRISE!

and in the wink of an eye we say, “Too soon, too soon.”
then the old man was gone from my sight