No. 5 His name and address forgotten

No. 5 
 
His name and address 
forgotten, 
the old man sits in silence. 
 
When a stranger asks him a question, 
he smiles abstractedly, 
as he tries to catch  
specks of evening light  
playing hide-and-seek 
through the tree’s shade, 
or else, waves him away 
with trembling hands. 
 
He scribbles something 
in the dust 
with the end  
of a walking stick, 
then erases it. 
 
When someone he knows 
reminds him of his name, 
his address, 
the old man listens, 
lost in thought. 
 
He hears him out, 
then smiles  
absently. 

No. 5 His name and address forgotten