He stood there, black-haired
blue-eyed and not quite
old as yet — but soon enough —
on the sidewalk near
the cobblestones all cobbled
together into something
like a road or a path.

“Man, ” I said to him, “what are you
watching?”

He tilted his head to the right,
“Same thing anyone watches
when they’re not watching anything.”

I nodded, “I think you’re probably
right.” “Oh yes,”

he said, “Yes, I suppose I am.
Good thoughts. Good words.
Good deeds.  What else is there?”

A lady pushing a baby carriage
speaking Spanish to a little baby boy
passed by quickly.

I noticed the artificial red in her hair
and the tattoo of a man hanging upside down
from a gallows on her right shoulder.

My thoughts veered into the most
ungood. I stepped back.
The man saw this too,

“Good thoughts. Always that
first. Without that, nothing else good
will ever happen for you.”