I agreed.
"I've worked hard all my life.
It was time for me to slow down
so I sold my car a few months back
and now I take the bus
or walk places
like brunch here on Sundays."
He raised his cane from the bench
a tapped the sidewalk one.
His wooden exclamation point
ended our exchange.
I walked home.
But more slowly
that I had I left it.