He walks his dog
other side of the street
fierce wind exhausts itself
among tree branches, dancing leaves
when the old man suddenly stops
focusing eyes on the ground
he slowly leans
over cement sidewalk
even more slowly he gets up
straightening aching back
holding by its stem a dry maple leaf
which he brings close to
his eyes and observes carefully
turning it to the other side
examines in detail
the curled ribs of the leaf
its hunched body
bereft of flexibility
just like his

*From “Wheat ears – Selected poems”.