'Tonight At Ten'. Poem by RIC BASTASA

If you see him
you may not recognize the old man
whose hair is black as
asphalt
whose nails shine like the new moon

his face a little bit stretched by the magic
of dermatological advanced technology

as a young woman,19 to be exact clings
over his arms like a sexy leech lifted from
the nearby creek

and he struts this news about his new found love
in church and in the plaza
and most of the time
at the mall
while he takes charge of all the bills
after a hectic shopping schedule
of his true love

a young man looks at them and then from his
face creates a grin
as the young woman winks at him
as though saying

'tonight at ten'.