a friendly hello

i came around the corner 
and saw that familiar faded yellow hooded sweatshirt, 
a large Blue M floating on the front. 
It held an old man, 
maybe in his mid 70's
he was walking towards me 
his limp recognizable. 
I have seen him from time to time. 
sometimes, in the middle of the day, 
we're both there, 
strangers to each other, 
but not to the pond. 
It knows us both well.
I had not seen him in a while, 
i don't know his name, 
I don't know anything about him really, 
but I feel like we have a small connection, 
just through our smiles as we
walk past one another, 
his nodding head, 
his joyful wave, 
they mean something to me, 
even if it's small. 
I walked today as usual, 
and there he appeared, 
his steps quickened. 
I could be reading into it, 
but I could not mistake the huge grin 
that broke across his face 
when he spotted me.
I found myself relieved too, 
that he was there, 
that he was ok, 
and we could resume our familiar routine 
of a friendly walk past. 
we smiled and i yelled out a hello, 
as i approached his strong and steady old bones.
We lingered just for a second, 
happy to see one another, 
we exchanged a high five 
and kept walking in different directions. 
I made my way past the cattails, the pond
 bubbling next to me, 
I think he was happy the 3 of us reunited as well, 
but as i turned back to see my old friend 
in the yellow sweatshirt, 
he was gone, 
as quickly as he had arrived.