L'example Du Vieil Homme.(Translation) . Poem by Michael Walker

Bill Manhire is a prominent New Zealand poet, being the country's first Poet Laureate in 1997. He has won many other awards. Manhire directs the creative writing programme at Victoria University, Wellington.
This is an obviously short poem that also plumbs the depths. The style is elliptical and the meaning not obvious. Somehow it caught my attention because of the leaves tapping the old man's shoulder,
'There are one or two questions/ We should like to ask you'. This suggests that the leaves are like a policeman about to arrest someone.