need

people stand and stare
as an old man falls.
going to him, I help him up
dust him off
his wife taking his arm and thanking me.
I stand in the concourse
as these people move on
these who stopped
standing and staring, a momentary distraction
in straight line lives.
I whisper to them all as they pass -
would you leave this man to founder
leave me alone to see
the truth
the wonder
the power so naked
in one old man's need? -
these people
the standers
the starers
oh, how much you have missed
in this moment; power, truth, wonder,
all mine now
all mine.