俳句：学年の最後の日

毎年の六月の半ばの思い出

The last day of school

sweet scent of honeysuckle

brings back the old days.

Poem: four men

four men

the man who walks beside me on my right

walks with a slight limp.

Four Men Walking
by Theodore Major

he’s wearing plaid flannel.

his face bears a grin.

he hums a simple tune.

repetitive. just loud enough to be heard.

out the corner of my eye to the left

I see another man walking.

we walk almost in step.

he has a pained look on his face. intense. slightly angry.

his left hand grasps his upper right arm.

his bare lower arm shows an old tattoo – faded and muddied.

I don’t know what it is.

I don’t need to turn my head to see

the guy walking behind me.

I know that he’s there.

he mutters under his breath.

every once in a while

he steps on the heel of my shoe.

he falls back a little.

then whispers “sorry” loud enough for me to hear him.

the man walking ahead of me just happens to be there.

I am not following him.

he strides purposefully, yet relaxed.

he’s older.

he’s completely bald,

and yet I see flakes of dandruff on the shoulders

of his dark herringbone tweed.

Who are these men?

Where are we going?

Why are we together?
What are they to me?