BRAVERY ON TENTH STREET

This morning    a man

his head hanging from

the weak curved stem

of neck    feeble wife

beside him    her hands

grip a walker    a small

shopping bag    knotted

to her wrist    she leans

slides toward him    he

turns his head    pain    looks

up    around    alarmed steadies

her    she is upright    they

walk ten or twelve steps

are suddenly stalled

she begins to drift    tremble

he stands    a twisted bulwark

his eyes on the pavement how

to get home    half a block

away    was life this long?