Gregory Paul

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My Diverted Eyes

I left my house at the same time every morning
And passed an old woman walking her dog.
From a block away I looked her in the face
And diverted my eyes when she raised hers.

Every morning we had our routine
In front of the butcher shop on the worn sidewalk
Then I turned the corner and forgot about her
Remembering her from a block away the next day.

She walked with sturdiness
Lifting one foot after the other was firmly placed.
The small white dog always had the lead
And their strides flowed together in rhythm.

We could have spoken or made eye contact
We could have started a new routine
Or at least acknowledged each other’s existence
But in the morning we try to ignore what faces us.

Now I wonder if she looked at my diverted eyes
If she noticed the change
When I stopped passing her on the sidewalk
If she still walks her dog.

Now I wonder if she ever realized
That strangers are in our lives everyday
But they are not strange to us.
We have grown acquainted with them through habit.

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