by Stephen Barry
And in the soft October light
amidst the trees that release their dead
the leaves that fall in twos and threes.
first signs of the coming changes –
the destined dying of the year.
Along this cindered parkland path
the young ones jog or run or bike
chasing the miles they speed past
like so many boxes to check off.
They race toward their destination.
But the old men walk so slowly,
some with heads down in pensive prayer,
others look up in memory,
All aware journeys end.
Stephen Barry is a trial lawyer living in New York City. His poetry has appeared in a number of journals including Magnolia Review, Boston Literary Magazine, The East Coast Literary Review, and Emerge Literary Journal. His chapbook, The Things That We Lost was published by Big Table Publishing in 2014.
Emerge Literary Journal 