In the Store Parking Lot

by James Babbs

he was an old man
I knew his name and
I’d talked to him a few times
but I wouldn’t say we were friends
but when I saw him
coming out of the store
I said hello
before asking him
how he was doing
he told me not too good
he’d been to see his wife
earlier that morning and
she was in a nursing home
suffering from Alzheimer’s and
she didn’t even know
who he was anymore
he started crying
standing there next to me
in the store parking lot and
I didn’t know what to do
I didn’t know what to say
I wanted to say something
but I’m sorry just didn’t seem like
it was good enough
but I said it anyway
feeling the sun on my face
watching him wiping his eyes
with the back of his wrinkled hand
I told him
I had to get going
because
there were some things
I needed to get done and
it was starting to get late