A man not as old as you expect

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A man not old as you expect

carefully alights from the red mobility scooter

struggles to free a black-notched walking stick

and inches into Ruby’s on death-camp legs

he peruses the racks and chooses

a fat paperback curled at the edges

I notice a swollen red ball on his elbow

the pervasive thinness of him

two perfect out-turned ears

the contained tilt of his head