….I’ve never seen before,

never met,

yet.

I think we might become friends

but for the wide avenue I’ve grown too old and fearful to cross.

There’re no traffic lights!

No cross walks!

The cars are like hungry lions

chasing panicked wildebeest on WILD KINGDOM.

But I am no Marlin Perkins!

They never slow down, let alone stop

for some old man trying to cross,

waving his cane…

trapped in the middle lane.

But every once in a great while,

a nice policeman will smile,

stop his black-n-white,

turn on the flashers and makes such a sweet siren racket

he stops the traffic

so I can totter across the dangers of Tremont Avenue!

Successful at last, I cross,

then walk the block to the little park on the corner

of 96th street,

the one where Poe’s cottage is.

A lovely, gray haired lady sits on a bench,

reading her horoscope in the Daily News.

I sit on the bench near her and say, “Hello?”

And damned if she doesn’t invite me over!

We sit like old friends gossiping about people we never knew

and laughing about the crazies out there

in what we call The Bronx Zoo!

Her name is Rachael Gold.

Isn’t that beautiful?

Now there’s one less stranger in my city.

He’s me!

I hear they’re putting up more stop lights

on the Grand Concourse near Fordham Road.

I certainly hope they do.

Rachael’s sons are moving her

into a new apartment near there,

It might be a while before

we see each other again.

But I will risk the longer walk in the jungle!

(We’re old, but not defunct!

And strangers, no more…