A swarm of pigeons flutter down
as soon as he enters the park.
Easing onto a bench,
he empties a bag of crumbs.
While birds bob and peck at his feet,
he sits expressionless and still,
except for a hand in his lap
trembling to its own rhythms.

In the schoolyard across the street
the children run and skip and jump.
When the noon hour ends
and they return to class,
he lifts himself, one stage at a time,
unfolding like a wooden chair.
Tilted forward, arms tight to his side,
he starts for home, a shoe untied
as he shambles down the shady walk.