There was an old man
round my ends,
Looked like a cross
between Santa and a fisherman,
bucket hat and cane in hand.
And though it sounds odd
and hard to understand
As a child I was convinced
he was my guardian angel,
Was sure no one else
could see him but me.
And whenever I spotted him
I'd be filled with a kind of serenity.
He was an elusive being,
most likely a reclusive being
but he always had a smile for me
and in that smile
was such a sincerity
that I've rarely seen since.
Laughing eyes that would
be gone in a blink
And though I never
had a conversation with him
I never felt like words were  needed
Cause all was said with a shared *grin