The Walking Man

                             A man spends his life walking, mostly

                                    with his eyes shut, not looking at anything,

                                    not even curious about where he is.

                                    He lives a long life and he covers many miles.

                                    At the end, on his death bed, no one

                                    recognizes him.  Even the nurses who served him

                                    and made him comfortable the previous day

                                    do not treat him as the same man

                                    when they return in the morning.  He is in

                                    the hospital for weeks, but is always

                                    known as the new patient in room 312.

                                    Finally he dies, a quiet death, already

                                    well advanced before he takes it to heart.

                                    He is brought to the undertaker without any name.

                                    He lies on a metal table that looks cold

                                    and uncomfortable.  An anonymous man

                                    on a cold metal table.  The undertaker

                                    notices his feet.  "Oh yes," he says,

                                    "the walking man."