The old man sits stillon a blue plastic chairbefore the small porchnoon sun shining straight downhe does not close his eyes and looks at no one
A yellow catcomes near his feetrubs its head against the canethen lies down therehe does not stroke its head only sits still
The fruit seller's callfar off at the alley mouth"ripe mangoes here, mangoes"rings through the noon sunthe old man keeps sitting as if he never heard
A child runspast the porchstops for one secondlooks at him, then runshe tilts his head very slightly
A womanstops at the alley mouthlooks toward himthen turns awaythe old man stands up slower than every time before
The plastic chair stands emptybefore the small porchafternoon descends slowlycovering everythinghe has gone inside the door still open