You drop by the house on your way to Ithaca, Safeway…whatever…

just to touch base as we have 48 years.

We sit next to each other in the same room–remodeled…

catching up and sharing a bit of each other.

Suddenly…in mid-sentence… I have to stop and smile a bit

watching your head tilt back.

and your mouth open as your eyelids slowly close…

like our friend Larry used to do

in his favorite corner of his sun drenched patio.

Smiling, I wait and watch…noting your eyes slowly open

as a soft smile eases you awake…sort of.

And with a ballplayer’s soft hands

you pick up the conversation and toss it back to me,

and we continue as it used to be until you say,

“I’ve got to go–things to do, you know…

mind if I take a quick pee before I go?”

“Sure.” I say with a smile as I think:

how glad I am that you took time to see and share an afternoon with me.

And as the sun goes down, and the day turns cold…

we mine small bits of humor from our growing old.