His Name Is Richard

His name is Richard and he walks the land Plastic bags and umbrella in hand I've passed him by a thousand times He'd always wave with hand held high Long haired curls of peppered gray A bearded face and aging frame Years of miles beneath his feet I wondered where he keeps his seat He's always walking, on the go From where to where I do not know He's like the trees along the way He's like the deer I saw today His image is emblazoned on The country roads and neighbors lawns You might see him in the morn Just wave your hand and blow your horn Or maybe 'neath the twilight sky When driving home, you'll pass him by But lately there's a different air I've not, so often, seen him there Until today when I left home To go to town to shop and roam I passed him with his thumb held high Instead of hand, I wondered why So I turned around and headed back I had to know. I had to ask I let him in and gave him ride And that was when he did confide He'd had a stroke five months ago But he was getting better though He said he lived with friends who care And helped him heal while he was there He spoke of how he loved to walk To breathe the air and stop to talk To count the posts of neighbors fence Watch birds and bees do natures dance If thunder rolled, then let it be It's just another pleseantry I listened as we rode along His tale was almost like a song And when we reached our destiny Before he left, he said to me "My name's Richard. Thanks my friend" He smiled and he shook my hand He then stepped out and closed the door And headed off into the store As I returned along my way I pondered what I learned that day How people can seem common place Until you put their name to face A stranger then becomes a friend Where journeys start and journeys end Rockman :-)