Crowded Sidewalk, Autumn Afternoon

a poem by Garnet

At first
I thought it was
A second glance

You know,
The admiring spark
That jumps my way
Makes my day
Especially when it comes
From a younger man

Yeah, he was younger
But...the look was longer
Than a second glance
And more intense.

I heed the invitation
To meet his eyes
Brown... brown eyes
Complexion dark
Curls... little ringlets
Frame his face.

A paper bag
Cradled in his arm
Hugged to his body
...A bottle of wine.

“I don’t want to drink it alone”
The message arced
Intense, unspoken
And tinged
With desperation.

A final flash
Before he passed
Proud defiance lit
The resignation
In his eyes.

“I know I cannot have you, Lovely Lady,
But this is not the end-
For what you have shared
You cannot rescind.”