Encounters

As I lined up this morning for one
of those traffic calming narrow width
things that drive me up the wall,
a tallish smartly sporting dapper man

was escorting two black spaniel dogs,
each on its own lead and at slightly
cross purposes. Another tall rosy
cheeked suited man passed the dogs

in the other direction. They two men
exchanged smiles, and when the younger
man who was giving a preliminary
suck at an an yet unlit cigarette had

gone on some yards, he took the cigarette
from his mouth, turned rounds and looked
after the man with dogs, and looked as
if to say "Who the hell is that guy?"

You can see the little urbane scene
settled in my memory this morning,
maybe to remind me that it is good to
be alive - well I think so - and that

it is deadening to be always eating
plates of brown beans and rice.